Electrocatalytic Stability of Non-Precious Metal Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Electrochemical reduction of oxygen is at the heart of fuel-cell technology, yet reliance on precious platinum undermines cost-effectiveness and scalability. Non-precious metal catalysts, typically atomically dispersed iron or cobalt coordinating with nitrogen in a carbon matrix, offer a sustainable alternative. However, their long-term durability under acidic or alkaline conditions remains a critical barrier. Degradation pathways include demetalation of active sites, oxidative carbon corrosion and loss of nitrogen functionalities. These processes diminish catalytic activity and induce electrode collapse. Advances in active-site engineering, support graphitization and operando studies have begun to illuminate stability determinants. Emerging strategies—such as chemical vapour modification to generate robust metal–nitrogen environments, optimisation of pyrolysis conditions and precise control of local pH—are enhancing resilience against leaching and radical attack. A holistic understanding of the interplay between atomic-scale site structure and mesoscale support architecture is essential for translating laboratory performance into commercial fuel-cell systems and advancing global clean-energy goals.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A recent study has demonstrated that chemical vapour modification can transform conventional FeN₄ sites into a monosymmetric FeN₂+N'₂ configuration while increasing carbon support graphitization. This tailored structure suppresses proton-induced metal leaching and radical-driven site degradation. In accelerated stress tests spanning 200,000 potential cycles, the catalyst exhibited negligible loss in half-wave potential and maintained stable performance for over 248 hours under fuel-cell operating conditions. These findings provide a clear design blueprint for durable metal–nitrogen–carbon electrocatalysts in oxygen reduction applications.

Electrocatalytic Stability of Non-Precious Metal Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrocatalytic stability of non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR): Electrochemical conversion of O₂ to water or peroxide in energy-conversion devices.

Metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) catalyst: Catalyst featuring single metal atoms coordinated to nitrogen within a carbon scaffold.

Active site: Atomic ensemble where reactant binding and transformation occur.

Demetalation: Loss of metal atoms from catalytic sites, leading to performance decline.

Carbon corrosion: Oxidative degradation of the carbon support under electrochemical stress.

Denitrogenation: Removal of nitrogen functionalities from the carbon matrix, undermining site integrity.

Accelerated stress test (AST): Protocol involving repeated potential cycling to simulate long-term operation and assess durability.

Graphitization: Enhancement of carbon structural order to improve electrical conductivity and resistance to oxidation.

References

1. Recent progress on mechanisms, principles, and strategies for high‐activity and high‐stability non‐PGM fuel cell catalyst design. Carbon Energy (2024).
2. Monosymmetric Fe-N4 sites enabling durable proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathode by chemical vapor modification. Nature Communications (2024).
3. Impact of Carbon Corrosion and Denitrogenation on the Deactivation of Fe–N–C Catalysts in Alkaline Media. ACS Catalysis (2024).
4. Operando Fe dissolution in Fe–N–C electrocatalysts during acidic oxygen reduction: impact of local pH change. Energy & Environmental Science (2024).