Platinum-free catalysts for the hydrogen / hydrogen peroxide - fuel cell; Platinfreie Katalysatoren fuer die Wasserstoff / Wasserstoffperoxid-Brennstoffzelle

Durability, costs and efficiencies of today's fuel cell systems are determined crucially by the used catalysts. In the PEM fuel cells, expansive platinum or platinum mixtures based catalysts are used, which exhibit a significant overvoltage and thus an insufficient utilization of the O{sub 2}. Therefore, great efforts have been made towards replacement of platinum by non-noble metals like iron or cobalt. These catalysts can be synthesized by pyrolysis of macrocycles, like FeTPFPPCI, or by loading of carbon carrier with separated metal and nitrogen precursors and following treatment. The plasma treatment under N{sub 2}-atmosphere was also successfully tested for the synthesis of catalytic active centres and the results were compared with the conventional technology of pyrolysis. (orig.)