Nitrogen-Doped Graphene and Application as electrocatalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 

Nitrogen-doped graphene is recognized as one of the most promising catalyst since it has demonstrated to act as a metal-free electrode with a good electrocatalytic activity and long-term operation stability for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Graphene oxide received a remarkable attention as a valuable class of graphene derivatives, due to its chemical stability, high conductivity and ability to form chemical bonds easily.  A simple, scalable, single-step synthesis method for nitrogen-doped graphene oxide preparation is presented in this paper, starting from commercial graphene oxide, urea and reducing agents; the reactions were carried out in microwave field using various conditions. Electrochemical measurements towards ORR indicated that the presence of nitrogen-doped oxide can effectively enhance the electrocatalytic activity and stability for ORR making it a candidate for practical application for PEMFCs.