Correlation of Reaction Mechanism and Synergistic Catalyst-Support Interactions on MXene-Based Hybrid Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in Fuel Cells

Fuel cells offer a clean energy solution but face efficiency challenges due to slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at the cathode. Platinum-based catalysts dominate the field but are costly and scarce, highlighting the need for affordable, efficient alternatives. MXenes, advanced 2D materials, have excellent conductivity, tunable surface chemistry, and versatile structures, making them promising electrocatalyst supports despite limited standalone activity. Meanwhile, mixed transition metal oxides (MTMOs) like Co₃O₄-MnO₂ exhibit good catalytic activity but lack conductivity and stability. Hybridizing MXenes with MTMOs offers a promising approach to leverage the strengths of both materials.

This project aims to (1) investigate the reaction mechanism during ORR on MXene-MTMO hybrids to determine the intermediates adsorption/desorption energy, (2) study ORR kinetics and the synergistic catalyst-support interactions of the hybrid electrocatalysts, and (3) identify the relationship between their composition and structure of hybrid electrocatalysts to achieve maximum ORR performance.