(Digital) Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Waste Tire Derived Carbon Material and Synthesized Non-Platinum Group Metal Catalysts in Alkaline Solution

A carbon material was pyrolyzed from waste tire granules and used to synthesize non-platinum group metal (NPGM) catalysts via dry ball-milling and wet synthesis methods using Fe or Co salts and 2,2’-bipyridine as precursors. These materials were studied with HR-SEM, SEM-EDX, and N2 sorption analysis methods as well as the rotating disk electrode method in alkaline solution (0.1 M KOH). All materials exhibited a heterogeneous morphology as well as low porosity and low specific surface area (92 < S BET < 150 m2 g-1). Although the carbon support itself did not show significant activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (E onset = -0.24 V vs Hg/HgO), the modified NPGM materials had a considerably higher onset potential (∆E onset ~150 mV). It was shown that active NPGM catalysts can be synthesized from waste tire derived carbon materials.