Sains Malaysiana 54(1)(2025): 291-302

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2025-5401-23

 

Performance of Graphene Oxide-Supported Co₃O₄ with Assisted Urea as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in PEMFCs

(Prestasi Grafin Oksida Tersokong Co₃O₄ dengan Terbantu Urea sebagai Elektromangkin bagi Tindak Balas Penurunan Oksigen dalam PEMFC)

 

NUR UBAIDAH SAIDIN^1,3, NURUL NORAMELYA ZULKEFLI¹, NOR EZZATI AMIRA MUSTAPA PADZIR², NURAZILA MAT ZALI³, THYE FOO CHOO³, ROZAN MOHAMAD YUNUS¹ & MOHD SHAHBUDIN MASDAR^1,2,*

 

¹Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
²Department of Chemical & Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
³Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

 

Received: 21 June 2024/Accepted: 4 November 2024

 

Abstract

In this work, cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanoparticles supported on a graphene oxide (GO) electrocatalyst were synthesized using a simple and low-cost hydrothermal route for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. The effects of varying the urea concentration on the physicochemical and electrochemical characteristics were investigated in alkaline media using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and chronoamperometry. The electrocatalyst prepared using cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and urea with a molar ratio of 1:1 exhibited the best ORR activity where the highest onset potential (E_onset) at 0.88 V through four-electron mechanism at 25 °C. The synthesized electrocatalyst also showed improved stability compared with Pt/C. Although CN1-1 exhibits a lower power density (37.9 mW cm⁻²) compared to Pt/C (173.6 mW cm⁻²), it is still expected to be suitable as an ORR electrocatalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

 

Keywords: Electrocatalyst; fuel cell; graphene oxide; hydrothermal; oxygen reduction reaction

 

Abstrak

Dalam kajian ini, kobalt dioksida (Co₃O₄) berbentuk zarah nano yang disokong grafin oksida (GO) disintesis menggunakan kaedah hidroterma yang mudah dan berkos rendah. Bahan ini digunakan sebagai elektromangkin untuk tindak balas penurunan oksigen (ORR) dalam sel fuel. Kesan perubahan kandungan urea terhadap sifat fiziko-kimia serta elektrokimia dikaji dalam medium alkali menggunakan mikroskop pengimbas elektron pancaran medan (FESEM), pembelauan sinar-X (XRD), spektroskopi Raman, voltametri kitaran (CV), sapuan voltametri linear (LSV) dan kronoamperometri. Elektromangkin yang disediakan menggunakan kobalt asetat tetrahidrat dan urea dengan nisbah 1:1 menunjukkan aktiviti ORR terbaik dengan potensi permulaan (E_onset) pada 0.88 V melalui mekanisme empat elektron pada 25 °C. Ia juga menunjukkan kestabilan yang lebih baik berbanding Pt/C. Walaupun CN1-1 mempunyai ketumpatan kuasa 37.9 mW cm⁻² yang lebih rendah berbanding Pt/C (173.6 mW cm⁻²), ia dijangka masih sesuai digunakan sebagai elektromangkin ORR dalam aplikasi sel fuel membran penukaran proton (PEMFC).

 

Kata kunci: Elektromangkin; grafin oksida; hidroterma; sel fuel; tindak balas penurunan oksigen

 

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*Corresponding author; email: shahbud@ukm.edu.my