Fabrication and application research of nanocarbon materials doped with transition metals and heteroatoms for fuel cell and Zn-air battery electrodes

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and Zn-air battery (ZAB) are electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, whose development is necessary to achieve the climate targets and energy security. The working principle of PEMFC and ZAB devices relies on the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction and evolution reactions at the electrodes. For this purpose, it is necessary to develop easily prepared and low-cost non-precious metal catalysts using abundant resources. The aim of this project is to synthesise nanocarbon catalysts functionalised with multiple transition metals (Fe, Co) and nitrogen, which will be further developed by introducing additional heteroatoms (e.g. sulfur) to optimise the electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability towards oxygen reactions. In addition, the implementation of an innovative gas diffusion electrode (GDE) testing method is planned for the host workgroup to improve their characterisation capabilities for PEMFC catalysts. To achieve this goal, the cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is possible for GDE testing and system optimisation. Regarding the ZAB development, in addition to synthesising new catalysts, the parallel research into the novel zinc-iodine (Zn-I) system is planned, which may be a more suitable for the development of commercial ZAB. This could potentially lead to the increase in the energy density, maximum voltage and the lifespan of the battery. In addition to the implementing the new GDE method, a doctoral student from the host working group will be included to the project to achieve the goals.