Integration of Platinum Group Metal-Free Catalysts and Bilirubin Oxidase into a Hybrid Material for Oxygen Reduction: Interplay of Chemistry and Morphology

Rojas-Carbonell, Santiago; Babanova, Sofia; Serov, Alexey; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Workman, Michael J.; Mirabal, Alex; Calabrese Barton, Scott; Atanassov, Plamen; Santoro, Carlo

Abstract

© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalysts integrated with an enzyme (bilirubin oxidase, BOx) in neutral media was studied. The effects of chemical and morphological characteristics of PGM-free materials on the enzyme enhancement of the overall ORR kinetics was investigated. The surface chemistry of the PGM-free catalyst was studied using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Catalyst surface morphology was characterized using two independent methods: length-scale specific image analysis and nitrogen adsorption. Good agreement of macroscopic and microscopic morphological properties was found. Enhancement of ORR activity by the enzyme is influenced by chemistry and surface morphology of the catalyst itself. Catalysts with a higher nitrogen content, specifically pyridinic moieties, showed the greatest enhancement. Furthermore, catalysts with a higher fraction of surface roughness in the range of 3–5 nm exhibited greater performance enhancement than catalysts lacking features of this size.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 2, 2017
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2018
• Journal: ChemSusChem
• Print ISSN: 1864-5631
• Electronic ISSN: 1864-564X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 1534-1542
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201601822
• Keywords: oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), platinum group metal‐free (PGM‐free), electrocatalysts, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/898753
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201601822
• Contract Date: May 3, 2018