Modification of carbon aerogel supports for PEMFC catalysts

Nitrogen enriched carbon aerogels and Co-based non-noble metal catalysts supported on carbon aerogels have been synthesized and tested using XPS, HRTEM, XRD and RDE techniques. XPS spectra of unmodified carbon aerogels indicated a presence of two oxygen O(1s) groups and five carbon C(1s) groups in deconvoluted spectra. XPS spectra of chemically modified samples indicated nitrogen N(1s) introduced in the carbon aerogel structure by acidic (HNO3) or basic (NH4OH) chemical treatment.