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Title: Elucidating the Role of Ionomer in the Performance of Platinum Group Metal-free Catalyst Layer via in situ Electrochemical Diagnostics

Abstract

The ionomer content in platinum group metal (PGM)-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) cathode catalyst layer (CCL) plays an important role in the electrode gas transport properties, proton conductivity, and hence, membrane electrode assembly (MEA) performance. In this work, the ionomer content in the CCL is varied, influencing electrode microstructure by altering porosity, tortuosity, as well as ionomer distribution and coverage of the catalyst particles. A novel technique consisting of a H 2 pump, combined with a Pt black sensor layer, is used to measure the bulk mass transport resistance of a series of PGM-free CCL prepared with different ionomer contents. The values for bulk electrode mass transport resistance are contrasted with electrode proton transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layer, establishing a clearly defined trade-off between two key performance limiting phenomena and identifying a need for novel PGM-free electrode fabrication strategies.

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ; ; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Fuel Cell Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1832505
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1665788
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-77218
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
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: 167 Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
25 ENERGY STORAGE; catalysts; cathodes; economic and social effects; PEMFC; platinum; polyelectrolytes; proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Citation Formats

Wang, Guanxiong, Osmieri, Luigi, Star, Andrew G., Pfeilsticker, Jason, and Neyerlin, K. C. Elucidating the Role of Ionomer in the Performance of Platinum Group Metal-free Catalyst Layer via in situ Electrochemical Diagnostics. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1.
Wang, Guanxiong, Osmieri, Luigi, Star, Andrew G., Pfeilsticker, Jason, & Neyerlin, K. C. Elucidating the Role of Ionomer in the Performance of Platinum Group Metal-free Catalyst Layer via in situ Electrochemical Diagnostics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1
Wang, Guanxiong, Osmieri, Luigi, Star, Andrew G., Pfeilsticker, Jason, and Neyerlin, K. C. Mon . "Elucidating the Role of Ionomer in the Performance of Platinum Group Metal-free Catalyst Layer via in situ Electrochemical Diagnostics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1.
@article{osti_1832505,
title = {Elucidating the Role of Ionomer in the Performance of Platinum Group Metal-free Catalyst Layer via in situ Electrochemical Diagnostics},
author = {Wang, Guanxiong and Osmieri, Luigi and Star, Andrew G. and Pfeilsticker, Jason and Neyerlin, K. C.},
abstractNote = {The ionomer content in platinum group metal (PGM)-free polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) cathode catalyst layer (CCL) plays an important role in the electrode gas transport properties, proton conductivity, and hence, membrane electrode assembly (MEA) performance. In this work, the ionomer content in the CCL is varied, influencing electrode microstructure by altering porosity, tortuosity, as well as ionomer distribution and coverage of the catalyst particles. A novel technique consisting of a H 2 pump, combined with a Pt black sensor layer, is used to measure the bulk mass transport resistance of a series of PGM-free CCL prepared with different ionomer contents. The values for bulk electrode mass transport resistance are contrasted with electrode proton transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layer, establishing a clearly defined trade-off between two key performance limiting phenomena and identifying a need for novel PGM-free electrode fabrication strategies.},
doi = {10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1},
journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 4,
volume = 167,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1

Figures / Tables:

Figures 1 Figures 1: Polarization curves corrected for the HFR contribution, measured at 80 °C and 150 kPa for electrodes with different ionomer loadings: (a) H2/O2, 100%RH; (b) H2/O2, 75%RH; (c) H2/Air, 100%RH; and (d) H2/Air, 75%RH.

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