@article {47055,
	title = {Toward pH independent oxygen reduction reaction by polydopamine derived 3D interconnected, iron carbide embedded graphitic carbon},
	journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces},
	volume = {13},
	year = {2021},
	month = {FEB },
	pages = {8147-8158},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>Recent advancements on the development of nonprecious electrocatalysts with iron (Fe) incorporated active centers have generated confidence on realizing cost-effective proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, most of these catalysts that emerged as a substitution for the platinum supported on carbon (Pt/C) catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are active under basic conditions, and their feasibility in PEMFCs remains as a challenge. In this scenario, this work reports the synthesis of a Pt-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst prepared by the annealing of polydopamine grown melamine foam. The prepared catalyst has a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected bilayer network structure possessing the carbon nitride backbone wrapped by graphitic carbon layer bearing iron carbides and nitrides as the active centers (3DFePDC). Interestingly, the 3D-FePDC catalyst displayed an ORR activity both under acidic and basic conditions. Whereas the ORR performance of 3D-FePDC closely matches that of the commercial Pt/C in the basic medium, it displays only a low overpotential value of 60 mV under acidic conditions compared to its Pt counterpart. The kinetics of ORR on 3DFePDC is found to be similar to the four-electron (4e) reduction pathway displayed by Pt/C. Testing of a PEMFC in a single cell mode by using 3D-FePDC as the cathode catalyst and Nafion membrane delivered a maximum power density of 278 mW cm(-2), which is a promising value expected from a system based on the nonprecious metal cathode. Ultimately, as a cost-effective catalyst that can effectively perform irrespective of the pH conditions, 3D-FePDC offers significant prospects in the areas like fuel cells and metal-air batteries which work in acidic and/or basic conditions.</p>
},
	keywords = {acidic medium, electrocatalyst, fuel cell, graphitic carbon, Iron carbide, nitrogen doping, nonprecious metal, oxygen reduction reaction},
	issn = {1944-8244},
	doi = {10.1021/acsami.0c18036},
	author = {Gangadharan, Pranav K. and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar}
}
@article {49596,
	title = {Hot injection assisted electronically modulated twin and grain boundary rich sub-2 nm pt3co alloy resistant to phosphate ion for PEMFCs},
	journal = {Small},
	volume = {21},
	year = {2025},
	month = {MAY},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	Modulation of the electronic d-band center, structural defects (line defects), and particle size of Pt3Co alloy electrocatalyst have huge significance in elevating its electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction activity. Deviating from traditional high-temperature strategies, the current work focuses on ripening these benefits by implying a simple economically viable hot-injection-assisted modified polyol process. A conclusive control over decrementing particle size starting from 2.7 to 1.3 nm, an increasing degree of strain (twin boundary), and shifting of the d-band center away from the Fermi level are obtained via varying the temperature to which the solution is injected. The catalyst prepared via the injection at 200 degrees C (Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200) has delivered an electrochemical surface area of 84 m(2) g(Pt)(-1) with the onset and half-wave potentials of 0.980 and 0.858 V, respectively, versus RHE and a limiting current of -6.0 mA cm(-2) with stability till 20k cycles. In the high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200-based cell has outperformed Pt/C rendering 600 mWcm(-2) under H-2-Air compared to 529 mWcm(-2) of Pt/C with 20\% lower Pt loading and double the stability due to enhanced resistance toward phosphoric acid for accelerated voltage cycling. A similar enhancement is seen while employing the catalyst for low-temperature fuel cells.</p>
},
	keywords = {electrocatalyst, grain boundary, hot injection synthesis, modified polyol process, oxygen reduction reaction, proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Pt3Co alloy, twin boundary, valance band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy},
	issn = {1613-6810},
	doi = {10.1002/smll.202500954},
	author = {Singh, Mayank U. and Jadhav, Swapnil D. and Shivankar, Bhavana R. and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kumar, Yogesh and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Vinod, C. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar}
}
