Study on performance characteristics of algal-based monolithic carbonaceous cathode for direct formate fuel cell

Currently, the primary catalyst for fuel cells is platinum-based catalysts. However, they are scarce and nonrenewable, leading to high prices. In addition, platinum-based catalysts are susceptible to being poisoned during the operation of the fuel cell, which leads to a decrease in electrode stability. The above disadvantages have seriously affected the commercial application of fuel cells. In contrast to platinum-based catalysts, non-precious metal-based (NPM) catalysts developed from biomass materials not only have the advantages of wide sources and low prices, but also have the characteristics of high conductivity, abundant porous structure, large specific surface area, and element self-doping. These characteristics are beneficial for improving catalytic performance during the preparation process, structure stability, and strong anti-poisoning ability, making it one of the most potential alternatives for platinum-based catalysts. Therefore, this research proposed a controllable tubular porous air cathode based on Chlorella pyrenoidosa, doped with different content of transition metal elements such as Fe to obtain highly active functional groups for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). These electrodes were used to assemble direct formate fuel cells (DFFC) and effectively improved the DFFC output performance.