Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor

Star, Andrew; Wang, Guanxiong; Medina, Samantha; Pylypenko, Svitlana; Neyerlin, Kenneth C.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227655

Title: Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor

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Abstract

A method to allow in place measurements of the mass transport resistance for platinum group metal (PGM)-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes is presented. Thin platinum black layers deposited at the membrane interface served as electrochemical sensors, performing hydrogen oxidation, for hydrogen probe gas molecules while PGM-free catalyst materials, being electro-inactive to hydrogen oxidation, were probed for mass transport resistance through the full layer. Theoretical considerations, assumptions, and future applications of the methodology are discussed. The method is demonstrated on catalyst layers fabricated from a commercially available PGM-free oxygen reduction catalyst. Effective diffusivity measurements using hydrogen were made which were then used to estimate the effective diffusivity of air of the full layer without the confounding effect of electrode flooding. This method complements alternative techniques such as mercury porosimetry or x-ray computed tomography and can be easily adopted by research groups everywhere to study MEA-level properties of PGM-free catalyst layers and accelerate the development and deployment of PGM-free PEFCs.

Authors:

Star, Andrew ^[1]; Wang, Guanxiong ^[1]; Medina, Samantha ^[2];

^[2]; Neyerlin, Kenneth C. ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

Publication Date:: 2019-12-26

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

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

OSTI Identifier:: 1593689

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-74020
Journal ID: ISSN 0378-7753

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Power Sources

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 450; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0378-7753

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; PGM-free electrocatalyst; PGM-free electrode; electrode transport resistance; hydrogen limiting current

Citation Formats


                    Star, Andrew, Wang, Guanxiong, Medina, Samantha, Pylypenko, Svitlana, and Neyerlin, Kenneth C. Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227655.

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                    Star, Andrew, Wang, Guanxiong, Medina, Samantha, Pylypenko, Svitlana, & Neyerlin, Kenneth C. Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227655

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                    Star, Andrew, Wang, Guanxiong, Medina, Samantha, Pylypenko, Svitlana, and Neyerlin, Kenneth C. Thu .  
"Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227655.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1593689.

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@article{osti_1593689,

  title        = {Mass transport characterization of platinum group metal-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes using a differential cell with an integrated electrochemical sensor},

  author       = {Star, Andrew and Wang, Guanxiong and Medina, Samantha and Pylypenko, Svitlana and Neyerlin, Kenneth C.},

  abstractNote = {A method to allow in place measurements of the mass transport resistance for platinum group metal (PGM)-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes is presented. Thin platinum black layers deposited at the membrane interface served as electrochemical sensors, performing hydrogen oxidation, for hydrogen probe gas molecules while PGM-free catalyst materials, being electro-inactive to hydrogen oxidation, were probed for mass transport resistance through the full layer. Theoretical considerations, assumptions, and future applications of the methodology are discussed. The method is demonstrated on catalyst layers fabricated from a commercially available PGM-free oxygen reduction catalyst. Effective diffusivity measurements using hydrogen were made which were then used to estimate the effective diffusivity of air of the full layer without the confounding effect of electrode flooding. This method complements alternative techniques such as mercury porosimetry or x-ray computed tomography and can be easily adopted by research groups everywhere to study MEA-level properties of PGM-free catalyst layers and accelerate the development and deployment of PGM-free PEFCs.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227655},

  journal      = {Journal of Power Sources},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 450,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {12}

}

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