High performance, high durability non-precious metal fuel cell catalysts

A method of making a highly-nitrogenated carbon fuel cell cathode catalyst comprising:

• a) polymerizing a mixture comprising at least one nitro-containing, amino-containing aromatic compound and at least one transition metal salt to form a metal-containing polymer;
• and
• b) thermally activating the metal-containing polymer by heating the metal-containing polymer in the presence of a nitrogenous activating agent to form a highly-nitrogenated carbon fuel cell cathode catalyst that contains metal,
• wherein the mixture further comprises at least one nanoparticle substrate and wherein the fuel cell cathode catalyst is a supported fuel cell cathode catalyst;
• wherein the nitrogenous activating agent is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, nitrogen, acetonitrile, pyridine, hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen, pyrrole, pyrrolidine, quinoline, tetrahydroquinoline, piperidine, and combinations thereof;
• and
• wherein the at least one nitro-containing, amino-containing aromatic compound is selected from the group consisting of:
• 2-nitroaniline,
• 3-nitroaniline,
• 4-nitroaniline,
• 2-methyl-3-nitroaniline,
• 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline,
• 2-methyl-5-nitroaniline,
• 2-methyl-6-nitroaniline,
• 4-methyl-2-nitroaniline,
• 4-ethyl-2-nitroaniline,
• 2-chloro-4-nitroaniline,
• 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline,
• 2-amino-4-nitrophenol,
• 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol,
• 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene,
• 2-amino-4-chloro-5-nitrotoluene,
• 2, 6-dichloro-4-nitroaniline,
• 2, 6-dibromo-4-nitroaniline,
• 4, 5-dichloro-2-nitroaniline,
• 4-(benzyloxy)- 5-bromo-2-nitroaniline,
• 4-(tert-butyl)- 3-nitroaniline,
• 4-benzyloxy-2-nitroaniline,
• 5-bromo-4-methyl-2-nitroaniline
• 5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-nitroaniline,
• 5-ethoxy-4-fluoro-2-nitroaniline,
• 5-nitro-5-naphthylamine,
• 2-amino-7-nitrofluorene,
• 4-nitrophthalimide,
• 2-amino-5-nitropyridine, and combinations thereof.