Adsorption Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Decomposition Products on a Platinum Electrode: An EQCM Study
Abstract
As hydrogen fuel cell vehicles move closer to mass commercialization, understanding the voltage losses due to contamination on low loading catalyst layers has become critical. It is imperative that contamination mechanisms are understood to mitigate these losses. In some cases, chemical breakdown of the polymer membrane can lead to formation of small molecules that can infiltrate and adsorb onto the catalyst layer, resulting in lower fuel cell performance and durability. Surface coverages of perfluorinated acid model compounds, representing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) chemical degradation products, were studied using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) with a polycrystalline platinum electrode. Perfluorosulfonic acid model compounds with a terminal sulfonic acid group exhibited no adsorption and no mass change. A similar model compound with a terminal carboxylic acid functional group exhibited higher surface coverage and stronger adsorption strength. Perfluorinated diacids, representing degradation products of a Nafion and 3M membrane, both showed mass increases well into the Pt oxide region, suggesting that the compounds were not fully displaced by surface oxides and that the terminal sulfonic acid group played a secondary role in the adsorption. Both perfluorinated chain length and functional group were found to play important roles in Pt surface adsorption characteristics.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1476662
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1478311
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-72621
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651; /jes/165/13/F1103.atom
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the Electrochemical Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Volume: 165 Journal Issue: 13; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
- Publisher:
- The Electrochemical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; fuel cells; PEM; contaminants; EQCMB; PFSA
Citation Formats
Christ, Jason M., Staub, Charles B., Richards, Ryan, and Dinh, Huyen N. Adsorption Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Decomposition Products on a Platinum Electrode: An EQCM Study. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1149/2.0841813jes.
Christ, Jason M., Staub, Charles B., Richards, Ryan, & Dinh, Huyen N. Adsorption Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Decomposition Products on a Platinum Electrode: An EQCM Study. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0841813jes
Christ, Jason M., Staub, Charles B., Richards, Ryan, and Dinh, Huyen N. Sat .
"Adsorption Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Decomposition Products on a Platinum Electrode: An EQCM Study". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0841813jes.
@article{osti_1476662,
title = {Adsorption Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Decomposition Products on a Platinum Electrode: An EQCM Study},
author = {Christ, Jason M. and Staub, Charles B. and Richards, Ryan and Dinh, Huyen N.},
abstractNote = {As hydrogen fuel cell vehicles move closer to mass commercialization, understanding the voltage losses due to contamination on low loading catalyst layers has become critical. It is imperative that contamination mechanisms are understood to mitigate these losses. In some cases, chemical breakdown of the polymer membrane can lead to formation of small molecules that can infiltrate and adsorb onto the catalyst layer, resulting in lower fuel cell performance and durability. Surface coverages of perfluorinated acid model compounds, representing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) chemical degradation products, were studied using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) with a polycrystalline platinum electrode. Perfluorosulfonic acid model compounds with a terminal sulfonic acid group exhibited no adsorption and no mass change. A similar model compound with a terminal carboxylic acid functional group exhibited higher surface coverage and stronger adsorption strength. Perfluorinated diacids, representing degradation products of a Nafion and 3M membrane, both showed mass increases well into the Pt oxide region, suggesting that the compounds were not fully displaced by surface oxides and that the terminal sulfonic acid group played a secondary role in the adsorption. Both perfluorinated chain length and functional group were found to play important roles in Pt surface adsorption characteristics.},
doi = {10.1149/2.0841813jes},
journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 13,
volume = 165,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Sat Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0841813jes
Web of Science
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