Nitrogen-doped Graphene in Fuel Cells

The commercialization of fuel cells is severely constrained by the sluggish kinetics of the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the high cost of precious metal platinum catalysts. Nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG), by modulating the electronic structure of the carbon skeleton, can effectively create ORR active sites, making it a highly promising non-precious metal catalyst. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of NDG in the application of ORR at the fuel cell cathode. It focuses on elucidating the modulation effects of different nitrogen configurations (such as pyridinic N and graphitic N) on the electronic structure of carbon materials and the adsorption behavior of intermediates, revealing the key role of pyridinic N in optimizing the reaction pathway. Furthermore, it discusses the synergistic catalytic mechanisms and performance enhancement strategies of constructing M-N-C active centers by combining NDG with transition metals (such as Fe, Co). It also analyzes effective approaches to enhance catalytic performance and stability in acidic media through multi-element co-doping with elements like phosphorus and sulfur. Finally, the challenges currently faced by NDG-based catalyst research in the precise synthesis of active sites, the understanding of structure-activity relationships, and stability under practical operating conditions are summarized, and future development directions are prospected.