Presently Pt and Pt alloys are widely used as anode and cathode materials [1-2]. Despite a
cathodic overpotential loss of 20%, Pt and Pt alloys are still preferred for their resistance
towards corrosion in acidic media. Pt however, being an expensive metal of low abundance,
it is of interest for researchers to develop a corrosion resistant non noble metal substitutes [3-
4]. Development of selective oxygen reduction non noble catalyst is also of interest for Direct
Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC), where methanol cross over and oxidation of methanol at the …

Cobalt based non noble metal catalysts were prepared from heat treated cobalt ethylene
diamine complexes adsorbed on carbon. The effect of surface oxygen groups on carbon
was studied. Surface oxygen groups on carbon were introduced with HNO3 oxidation.
Quinone groups introduced by nitric acid treatment, in addition to increasing the dispersion
of the chelate complexes, play a role in forming the active site for oxygen reduction.