Comparative techno-economic and life-cycle analysis of precious versus non-precious metal electrocatalysts: the case of PEM fuel cell cathodes

Fe–N–C catalyst production outperforms Pt/C from an enviro-economic viewpoint, but further Fe–N–C activity development is required before deployment in PEMFCs. Sluggish kinetics in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) require significant quantities of expensive Pt-based nanoparticles on carbon (Pt/C) at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This catalyst requirement hinders their large-scale implementation. Single atom Fe …