Synthesis and properties of a microporous carbon material as a catalyst support for fuel cells

It is stated that one-dimensional conductivity in amorphous microporous carbon material (AMCM) samples is associated with the considerable imperfection of graphene fragments in the carbon material rather than the presence of unshared electrons. It is likely that the graphene fragments are formed upon the carbonization of a carbon precursor accompanied by the partial or complete removal of precursor heteroatoms. It is hypothesized that the presence of localized unpaired electrons, which give EPR spectra, is due to the formation of local defects in carbene fragments. Thus, the effects of the value of conductivity and the concentration of unpaired electrons on the power output of a fuel cell cannot be distinguished based on the experimental data with the use of an AMCM as a catalyst support. The interaction of localized paramagnetic centers with electron gas can be interpreted in terms of the C-S relaxation model.