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.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (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 = {2020},
month = {3}
}
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1
https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab7aa1
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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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