DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v26i3.98

Keywords: Oxygen reduction reaction; iron and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon; textile waste

Abstract

As the global demand for energy continues to rise and environmental concerns escalate, fuel cells have emerged as promising clean energy conversion devices. The cathode reaction, namely Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) significantly influence the overall energy conversion process, yet it is hindered by sluggish kinetics, necessitating the use of highly active catalysts. In this study, iron and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst was synthesized from discarded textiles for the ORR in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. Urea was used as the nitrogen source, with iron chloride hexahydride acting as the iron precursor and pore-forming agent. The obtained electrocatalyst showed a promising performance as the ORR catalytic activity was close to that benchmark Pt/C. The results concluded that the discarded textile is a good candidate for serving as a Platinum (Pt) alternative in the electrocatalyst development from inexpensive and more sustainable resources.