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Highly Durable Fluorinated High Oxygen Permeability Ionomers for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Journal Article · · Advanced Energy Materials
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [6];  [6];  [5];  [1]
  1. Giner Inc., Newton, MA (United States)
  2. Compact Membrane Systems Inc., Newport, DE (United States)
  3. University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  4. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  5. University of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
  6. University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

For proton exchange membrane fuel cells to be cost-competitive in light- and heavy-duty vehicle applications, their Pt content in the catalyst layers needs to be lowered. However, lowering the Pt content results in voltage losses due to high local oxygen transport resistances at the ionomer–Pt interface. It is therefore crucial to use ionomers that have higher oxygen permeability than Nafion. In this paper, novel high oxygen permeability ionomers (HOPIs) are presented, with up to five times higher oxygen permeability than Nafion, synthesized by copolymerization of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD) with perfluoro(4-methyl-3,6-dioxaoct-7-ene) sulfonyl fluoride (PFSVE). PDD is the source of higher permeability due to its open ring structure, while PFSVE provides ionic conductivity. Optimization of PDD content and equivalent weight enables increased fuel cell performance, mainly at high current densities, where HOPIs can achieve power densities >1.25 W cm-2 and exceed the 0.8 A cm-2 U.S. Department of Energy durability target by losing only 4.5 mV, which is over six times less than 30 mV. Finally, the interactions between HOPI and SO3- groups with a PtCo/C catalyst are also elucidated here at a fundamental level.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; SC0018597
OSTI ID:
2404997
Journal Information:
Advanced Energy Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Energy Materials Journal Issue: 45 Vol. 12; ISSN 1614-6832
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
durability
electrodes
fuel cells
ionomers
oxygen permeability
performance