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Title: Effects of MEA Fabrication and Ionomer Composition on Fuel Cell Performance of PGM-Free ORR Catalyst

Abstract

Carbon-based platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have received increasing attention as potential candidates for low-cost fuel cell cathode catalysts. Mass-transport within the very thick catalyst layer (CL) presents a major challenge to further improve the fuel cell performance of PGM-free catalysts, which may be realized through the optimization of CL structure. Herein, we demonstrate that membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with not hot-pressed PGM-free cathode showed improved H2-air fuel cell performance in mass transport region when compared to MEAs prepared via hot-pressing technique. Further, the effects of the ionomer content and equivalent weight (EW) on fuel cell performance were systematically explored. We observed that an increase in ionomer content resulted in performance improvement in the kinetic region, while negatively affecting the performance in the mass transport region. The overall optimum fuel cell performance was achieved with an ionomer EW of 830 g mol-1.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Fuel Cell Technologies Program (EE-3F)
OSTI Identifier:
1463547
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-17-24947
Journal ID: ISSN 1938-6737
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ECS Transactions (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 77; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1938-6737
Publisher:
Electrochemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Energy Sciences

Citation Formats

Yin, Xi, Lin, Ling, Chung, Hoon T., Komini Babu, Siddharth, Martinez, Ulises, Purdy, Geraldine M., and Zelenay, Piotr. Effects of MEA Fabrication and Ionomer Composition on Fuel Cell Performance of PGM-Free ORR Catalyst. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1149/07711.1273ecst.
Yin, Xi, Lin, Ling, Chung, Hoon T., Komini Babu, Siddharth, Martinez, Ulises, Purdy, Geraldine M., & Zelenay, Piotr. Effects of MEA Fabrication and Ionomer Composition on Fuel Cell Performance of PGM-Free ORR Catalyst. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/07711.1273ecst
Yin, Xi, Lin, Ling, Chung, Hoon T., Komini Babu, Siddharth, Martinez, Ulises, Purdy, Geraldine M., and Zelenay, Piotr. 2017. "Effects of MEA Fabrication and Ionomer Composition on Fuel Cell Performance of PGM-Free ORR Catalyst". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/07711.1273ecst. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1463547.
@article{osti_1463547,
title = {Effects of MEA Fabrication and Ionomer Composition on Fuel Cell Performance of PGM-Free ORR Catalyst},
author = {Yin, Xi and Lin, Ling and Chung, Hoon T. and Komini Babu, Siddharth and Martinez, Ulises and Purdy, Geraldine M. and Zelenay, Piotr},
abstractNote = {Carbon-based platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have received increasing attention as potential candidates for low-cost fuel cell cathode catalysts. Mass-transport within the very thick catalyst layer (CL) presents a major challenge to further improve the fuel cell performance of PGM-free catalysts, which may be realized through the optimization of CL structure. Herein, we demonstrate that membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with not hot-pressed PGM-free cathode showed improved H2-air fuel cell performance in mass transport region when compared to MEAs prepared via hot-pressing technique. Further, the effects of the ionomer content and equivalent weight (EW) on fuel cell performance were systematically explored. We observed that an increase in ionomer content resulted in performance improvement in the kinetic region, while negatively affecting the performance in the mass transport region. The overall optimum fuel cell performance was achieved with an ionomer EW of 830 g mol-1.},
doi = {10.1149/07711.1273ecst},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1463547}, journal = {ECS Transactions (Online)},
issn = {1938-6737},
number = 11,
volume = 77,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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Cited by: 37 works
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Figures / Tables:

Scheme 1 Scheme 1: Two MEA fabrication methods used in this research.

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Integrating PGM‐Free Catalysts into Catalyst Layers and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Devices
journal, December 2018


Progress in the Development of Fe‐Based PGM‐Free Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
journal, December 2018


Molecular Design of Single‐Atom Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
journal, February 2020


A Structure and Durability Comparison of Membrane Electrode Assembly Fabrication Methods: Self-Assembled Versus Hot-Pressed
journal, January 2018


Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.