Nanofiber Fuel Cell MEAs with a PtCo/C Cathode

Slack, J. J.; Gumeci, C.; Dale, N.; Parrondo, J.; Macauley, N.; Mukundan, R.; Cullen, D.; Sneed, B.; More, K.; Pintauro, P. N.

doi:10.1149/2.0151907jes

Title: Nanofiber Fuel Cell MEAs with a PtCo/C Cathode

Journal Article · Mon Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0151907jes· OSTI ID:1508200

Slack, J. J.; Gumeci, C.; Dale, N.; Parrondo, J.;

;

; Cullen, D.; Sneed, B.;

;

PtCo/C and Pt/C catalyst powders were incorporated into electrospun nanofiber and conventional sprayed cathode membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) at a fixed electrode loading of 0.1 mgPt/cm². The binder for PtCo/C nanofiber cathodes and Pt/C nanofiber anodes was a mixture of Nafion and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), whereas the sprayed electrode MEAs utilized a neat Nafion binder. The structure of electrospun fibers was analyzed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which showed that the fibers were ~30% porous with a uniform distribution of catalyst and binder in the axial and radial fiber directions. The initial performance of nanofiber MEAs at 80°C was 20% better than the sprayed electrode MEA (a maximum power density of 1,045 mW/cm² vs. 869 mW/cm²). The benefit of the nanofiber electrode morphology was most evident at end-of-test (after a metal dissolution accelerated stress test), where power densities dropped by only 8%, after 30,000 square wave voltage cycles (0.6 V to 0.95 V), as compared to a 35% drop in the maximum power for the sprayed electrode MEA. The use of a recovery protocol improved the initial performance of a nanofiber MEA by ~13%, to 1,070 mW/cm² at 0.65 V, and increased the power after a metal dissolution stress test by 5–10% (e.g. 840 mW/cm² at 0.65 V after 30,000 voltage cycles). At rated power, the nanofiber MEA generated more than 1,000 mW/cm² at 99°C and a pressure of 250 kPa_abs. The high performance and durability of PtCo/C nanofiber cathode MEAs is due to the combined effects of a highly active cathode catalyst and the unique nanofiber electrode morphology, where there is a uniform distribution of catalyst and binder (no agglomeration) and short transport pathways across the submicron diameter fibers (which lowers gas transfer resistance and facilitates water removal from the cathode).

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0007653; 89233218CNA000001; AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1508200

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1525856; OSTI ID: 1531230; OSTI ID: 2311794

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-19-21920; /jes/166/7/F3202.atom

Journal Information:: Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 166 Journal Issue: 7; ISSN 0013-4651

Publisher:: The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 26 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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