Prasad M. Patare,
Ganesh P. Dawange,
P. William,
Dharmendra Kumar Roy,
Pravin B. Khatkale,
1. Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon, Maharashtra, India
2.1. Assistant Professor, Department of Structural Engineering, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon, Maharashtra, India
2.2. Research Scholar, Department of Chemistry, Haribhai V. Desai College of Arts, Science and Commerce (Autonomous), Pune, Maharashtra, India
3.1. Professor (Research), School of Computer Science and Technology, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
3.2. Research Fellow, Centre for Research and Consultancy, UNITAR International University, Selangor, Malaysia
4. Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Hyderabad Institute of Technology and Management, Medchal, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
5. Controller of Examination, School of Engineering and Technology, Sanjivani University, Kopargaon, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
The performance and operational lifetime of PEMFCs are closely linked to the catalytic activity and durability of cathode electrocatalysts. In this research, a polymer-derived cobalt–iron nitrogen-doped carbon (CoFe–N/C) nanostructured catalyst is developed to enhance the ORR performance for PEMFC applications. PAN and melamine serve as nitrogen-rich polymer precursors, while cobalt and iron salts generate highly dispersed metal–nitrogen active sites within a porous carbon matrix through thermal treatment at 900 °C. The synthesized catalyst exhibits a high specific surface area of 612 m² g⁻¹ with abundant Co-N and Fe-N coordination sites, facilitating efficient electron transfer and oxygen adsorption. Structural characterization using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and XPS confirms the successful formation of uniformly distributed nanostructures with enhanced graphitic properties. The PEMFC Performance Evaluation produced the best overall result because it directly validates the practical fuel cell performance of the synthesized CoFe–N/C catalyst. The catalyst achieved a peak power density of 0.82 W cm⁻², maximum current density of 1.58 A cm⁻², and open circuit voltage of 0.96 V, confirming excellent oxygen reduction activity, efficient electron transfer, and high electrochemical stability for advanced PEMFC applications. DFT calculations further confirm that the synergistic interaction among cobalt, iron, and nitrogen-coordinated carbon sites effectively reduces the reaction energy barrier and enhances catalyst durability for advanced PEMFC applications.
Keywords: PEMFCs, polymer-derived nanostructures, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), CoFe–N/C electrocatalyst.
[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| Special Issue | 03 | |
| Received | 22/05/2026 | |
| Accepted | 10/06/2026 | |
| Published | 20/06/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 29 Days |