Synthesis and characterization of a novel binuclear iron phthalocyanine/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for non-precious electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction

Binuclear iron phthalocyanine/reduced graphene oxide(bi-Fe Pc/RGO) nanocomposite with good electrocatalytic activity for ORR in alkaline medium was prepared in one step. High angle annular dark field image scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy element mapping results show bi-Fe Pc was uniformly distributed on RGO. An obvious cathodic peak located at about-0.23 V(vs. SCE) in CV and an onset potential of-0.004 V(vs. SCE) in LSV indicate the as-prepared bi-Fe Pc/RGO nanocomposite possesses high activity which is closed to Pt/C for ORR. The ORR on bi-Fe Pc/RGO nanocomposite follows four-electron transfer pathway in alkaline medium. Compared with Pt/C, there is only a slight decrease(about 0.02 V vs. SCE) for bi-Fe Pc/RGO nanocomposite when the methanol exists. The excellent activity and methanol tolerance in alkaline solutions proves that bi-Fe Pc/RGO nanocomposite could be considered as a promising cathode catalyst for alkaline fuel cells.