Recent Development of Non-precious Metal Catalysts

The development of high-performance non-precious metal catalysts (NPMC) for use at the cathode of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells will provide immense economic advantages over the current platinum-based catalyst technologies, perpetuating the sustainable widespread commercialization of these devices. It is imperative to develop NPMC that can effectively combine excellent oxygen reduction activities, high catalyst utilization, and long-term operational durability. This chapter focuses on recent advances made in the past 3–4 years and research trends in this field, with a particular focus on pyrolyzed carbon-supported nitrogen-coordinated transition metal (Fe and/or Co) complexes which have high potential of replacing conventional platinum-based catalysts.