The increasing global energy demand necessitates the development of sustainable electrochemical energy technologies. Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) present a promising alternative to proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to their ability to utilize platinum-group metal (PGM)-free catalysts, which significantly reduce costs and resource dependency. In this work, we prepare various PGM-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) via an ionothermal synthesis using cyclodextrin and magnesium nitrate. The synthesis conditions were optimized and the electrocatalysts were investigated with both physical and electrochemical characterization techniques. The catalysts’ ORR performance was assessed using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements and single-cell AEMFC tests. The optimized FeNC-CD3 catalyst exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.90 V vs RHE in 0.1 M KOH in the RDE test and a peak power density of 599 mW cm−2 in an AEMFC, showcasing its potential as a viable alternative to conventional Pt-based cathode catalysts. This work highlights the critical role of hierarchical porosity in enhancing the ORR activity and paves the way for the development of cost-effective and efficient AEMFC technology.
