ORR stability of Mn–Co/polypyrrole nanocomposite electrocatalysts studied by quasi in-situ identical-location photoelectron microspectroscopy

Abstract

The stability of pyrolyzed Mn–Co/polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposites towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution, was studied with a close-knit group of complementary microscopic and space-resolved spectroscopic approaches: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM, HRTEM) and identical-location Scanning PhotoElectron Microscopy (SPEM). Tracking quasi-in situ the morphochemical evolution of the Mn–Co/PPy catalyst upon electrochemical aging under ORR conditions by this multi-technique approach, has allowed to clarify the key physico-chemical processes underlying the dramatic impact of Co additions to stability improvement