Research on Asphalt-Derived Carbon as a Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
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Research on Asphalt-Derived Carbon as a Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Yaxuan Shen 1* Yuhan Zheng 2, Yihui Ye 3
1 Malvern College
2 Sochow Academy of Suzhou High School
3 Chengdu foreign language school
*Corresponding author: syx_0711@163.com
Published on 24 September 2025
Journal Cover
ACE Vol.186
ISSN (Print): 2755-273X
ISSN (Online): 2755-2721
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-383-3
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-384-0
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Abstract

As the society and technology advanced these years, the concern about Earth's energy and climate warming rose up. Meanwhile, the appearance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) promotes the development of many fields, like transportation and aerospace. However, PEMFC is limited by the performance and cost of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and relies on Platinum-based catalyst to improve the reaction efficiency, which is scarce, expensive, and may result in catalyst activity decrease under complex reaction environment. That greatly increases the production cost of PEMFC and encourage scientists to develop some non-Platinum catalysts that are friendly environmental, low-priced and abundant. Thus, carbon-based materials stand out due to their high conductivity, good stability and structural designability, including Asphalt-Derived Carbon, which can converse to porous carbon materials with excellent conductivity and adjustable structure. Consequently, this article aims to illustrate the advantages of asphalt-derived carbon, compare several designs of controlled carbonization process for asphalt-derived carbon and the future of asphalt-derived carbon.

Keywords:

Carbon-based catalyst, Asphalt-Derived, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Oxygen Reduction Reaction

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Shen,Y.;Zheng,Y.;Ye,Y. (2025). Research on Asphalt-Derived Carbon as a Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Applied and Computational Engineering,186,71-77.

References

[1]. Tsai, DC., Kuo, BH., Chen, HP. et al. (2023) Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells by Pt/carbon/antimony-doped tin dioxide triple-junction catalyst. Sci Rep 13, 23076.

[2]. Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (2022). Relevant research achievements on PEMFC catalysts [Webpage]. Retrieved from https: //www.dicp.cas.cn/

[3]. Wang, Q. C. (2018). Research progress on carbon nanotube-based non-noble metal catalysts in electrocatalytic redox reactions. Chinese Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 5, 807-822.

[4]. Zhang, W. J. (2023). Carbon-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts: Mechanism study and porous structures. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 5, 15-31.

[5]. Chen, R. (2024). In-situ construction of three-dimensional ordered self-supported Co-N-C integrated electrode for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 6, 237-246.

[6]. She, Y. Y. (2020). Bubble-like Fe-encapsulated N, S-codoped carbon nanofibers as efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for robust Zn-air batteries. Nano Research, 8, 2175-2182.

[7]. Han, J. S. (2024). Study on oxygen evolution performance of MOFs-derived pyrite-type nano electrocatalysts. Metal Mine, 7, 261-267.

[8]. Zhang, S. H. (2023). Microbial synthesis of N, P co-doped carbon supported PtCu catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction. Journal of Energy Chemistry, 9, 486-495.

[9]. Thomas, A., & Li, H. (2023). Phase transition mechanism of petroleum pitch during carbonization. Energy & Environmental Science, 16(5), 2315-2324.

[10]. Marsh, H., & Rodríguez-Reinoso, F. (2006). Porosity in carbons: modeling. Elsevier Science. 3: 87–142.

[11]. Chen, Y. L. (2015). Preparation, modification, and environmental application of biomass hydrothermal carbon materials (MA thesis). University of Science and Technology of China.

[12]. A method for selective regulation of pore size distribution of micropores/mesopores in hierarchical porous carbon structures [Patent]. (2024). China: Patent No. CN202410481834. https: //www.xjishu.com/zhuanli/25/202410481834.html

[13]. Sun, G. B., Li, H., & Zhang, M. (2025). Oxygen reduction reaction performance of Fe-N₅ catalysts assisted by CuN₅ single-atom nanozymes. Journal of Beijing Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 61(3), 1-10.

[14]. Wang, T. N. (2022). Synthesis, structural regulation, and performance study of pyrene-based covalent organic frameworks (doctoral dissertation). Northeast Normal University.

[15]. Zhu, Y., Zhao, W. D., & Ye, X. R. (2019). Study on supercritical preparation and electrochemical performance of biomass-based cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. Materials Science, 9(2), 142-150. https: //doi.org/10.12677/MS.2019.92018

[16]. Ayşe Bayrakçeken, Alevtina Smirnova, Usanee Kitkamthorn, Mark Aindow, Lemi Türker, İnc [idot] Eroğlu & Can Erkey (2008) VULCAN-SUPPORTED Pt ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR PEMFCs PREPARED USING SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE DEPOSITION, Chemical Engineering Comm

[17]. Chen D, Wang X. (2023). Degradation mechanism of doped carbon catalysts in acidic PEMFC environments [J]. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145(32), 17782-17794.

References

[1]. Tsai, DC., Kuo, BH., Chen, HP. et al. (2023) Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells by Pt/carbon/antimony-doped tin dioxide triple-junction catalyst. Sci Rep 13, 23076.

[2]. Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (2022). Relevant research achievements on PEMFC catalysts [Webpage]. Retrieved from https: //www.dicp.cas.cn/

[3]. Wang, Q. C. (2018). Research progress on carbon nanotube-based non-noble metal catalysts in electrocatalytic redox reactions. Chinese Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 5, 807-822.

[4]. Zhang, W. J. (2023). Carbon-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts: Mechanism study and porous structures. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 5, 15-31.

[5]. Chen, R. (2024). In-situ construction of three-dimensional ordered self-supported Co-N-C integrated electrode for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 6, 237-246.

[6]. She, Y. Y. (2020). Bubble-like Fe-encapsulated N, S-codoped carbon nanofibers as efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for robust Zn-air batteries. Nano Research, 8, 2175-2182.

[7]. Han, J. S. (2024). Study on oxygen evolution performance of MOFs-derived pyrite-type nano electrocatalysts. Metal Mine, 7, 261-267.

[8]. Zhang, S. H. (2023). Microbial synthesis of N, P co-doped carbon supported PtCu catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction. Journal of Energy Chemistry, 9, 486-495.

[9]. Thomas, A., & Li, H. (2023). Phase transition mechanism of petroleum pitch during carbonization. Energy & Environmental Science, 16(5), 2315-2324.

[10]. Marsh, H., & Rodríguez-Reinoso, F. (2006). Porosity in carbons: modeling. Elsevier Science. 3: 87–142.

[11]. Chen, Y. L. (2015). Preparation, modification, and environmental application of biomass hydrothermal carbon materials (MA thesis). University of Science and Technology of China.

[12]. A method for selective regulation of pore size distribution of micropores/mesopores in hierarchical porous carbon structures [Patent]. (2024). China: Patent No. CN202410481834. https: //www.xjishu.com/zhuanli/25/202410481834.html

[13]. Sun, G. B., Li, H., & Zhang, M. (2025). Oxygen reduction reaction performance of Fe-N₅ catalysts assisted by CuN₅ single-atom nanozymes. Journal of Beijing Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 61(3), 1-10.

[14]. Wang, T. N. (2022). Synthesis, structural regulation, and performance study of pyrene-based covalent organic frameworks (doctoral dissertation). Northeast Normal University.

[15]. Zhu, Y., Zhao, W. D., & Ye, X. R. (2019). Study on supercritical preparation and electrochemical performance of biomass-based cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. Materials Science, 9(2), 142-150. https: //doi.org/10.12677/MS.2019.92018

[16]. Ayşe Bayrakçeken, Alevtina Smirnova, Usanee Kitkamthorn, Mark Aindow, Lemi Türker, İnc [idot] Eroğlu & Can Erkey (2008) VULCAN-SUPPORTED Pt ELECTROCATALYSTS FOR PEMFCs PREPARED USING SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE DEPOSITION, Chemical Engineering Comm

[17]. Chen D, Wang X. (2023). Degradation mechanism of doped carbon catalysts in acidic PEMFC environments [J]. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145(32), 17782-17794.

Cite this article

Shen,Y.;Zheng,Y.;Ye,Y. (2025). Research on Asphalt-Derived Carbon as a Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Applied and Computational Engineering,186,71-77.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of CONF-FMCE 2025 Symposium: Semantic Communication for Media Compression and Transmission

ISBN: 978-1-80590-383-3(Print) / 978-1-80590-384-0(Online)
Editor: Anil Fernando
Conference website: https://2025.conffmce.org/glasgow.html
Conference date: 24 October 2025
Series: Applied and Computational Engineering
Volume number: Vol.186
ISSN: 2755-2721(Print) / 2755-273X(Online)

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