Editors’ Choice—Ionomer Side Chain Length and Equivalent Weight Impact on High Current Density Transport Resistances in PEMFC Cathodes
Abstract
Cell voltage at high current densities (HCD) of an operating proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) suffers from losses due to the local-O2 and bulk-H+ transport resistances in the cathode catalyst layer (CCL). Particularly, the interaction of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer with the carbon supported platinum catalyst plays a critical role in controlling reactant transport to the active site. In this study, we perform a systematic analysis of the side chain length and equivalent weight (EW) of PFSA ionomers on the CCL transport resistances. Ex situ measurements were carried out to quantify the ionomer characteristics such as the molecular weight, proton conductivity and water uptake. Nanomorphology of ionomers cast as 60-120 nm thin-films is characterized using grazing-incidence X-ray scattering. In situ fuel cell electrochemical diagnostic measurements were carried out to quantify the reactant (H+/O2) transport properties of the CCL. Ionomer EW was found to play a major role with decreasing EW yielding higher proton conductivity and water uptake that led to lower bulk-H+ and local-O2 transport resistances in the CCL. Finally, a 1D-semi-empirical performance model has been developed to quantify the impact of ionomer EW on cell voltage loss factors.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Fuel Cell Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1835448
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1787872; OSTI ID: 1810809; OSTI ID: 2281790
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357; EE0007651; AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the Electrochemical Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Volume: 168 Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
- Publisher:
- The Electrochemical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Cathode catalyst layer; Electrocatalysis; Fuel cells; Membranes and separators; PEM; Reactant transport; 08 HYDROGEN; PEMFC, Catalyst layer, Ionomer, Side chain
Citation Formats
Ramaswamy, Nagappan, Kumaraguru, Swami, Koestner, Roland, Fuller, Timothy, Gu, Wenbin, Kariuki, Nancy, Myers, Deborah, Dudenas, Peter J., and Kusoglu, Ahmet. Editors’ Choice—Ionomer Side Chain Length and Equivalent Weight Impact on High Current Density Transport Resistances in PEMFC Cathodes. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1149/1945-7111/abe5eb.
Ramaswamy, Nagappan, Kumaraguru, Swami, Koestner, Roland, Fuller, Timothy, Gu, Wenbin, Kariuki, Nancy, Myers, Deborah, Dudenas, Peter J., & Kusoglu, Ahmet. Editors’ Choice—Ionomer Side Chain Length and Equivalent Weight Impact on High Current Density Transport Resistances in PEMFC Cathodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abe5eb
Ramaswamy, Nagappan, Kumaraguru, Swami, Koestner, Roland, Fuller, Timothy, Gu, Wenbin, Kariuki, Nancy, Myers, Deborah, Dudenas, Peter J., and Kusoglu, Ahmet. Mon .
"Editors’ Choice—Ionomer Side Chain Length and Equivalent Weight Impact on High Current Density Transport Resistances in PEMFC Cathodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abe5eb.
@article{osti_1835448,
title = {Editors’ Choice—Ionomer Side Chain Length and Equivalent Weight Impact on High Current Density Transport Resistances in PEMFC Cathodes},
author = {Ramaswamy, Nagappan and Kumaraguru, Swami and Koestner, Roland and Fuller, Timothy and Gu, Wenbin and Kariuki, Nancy and Myers, Deborah and Dudenas, Peter J. and Kusoglu, Ahmet},
abstractNote = {Cell voltage at high current densities (HCD) of an operating proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) suffers from losses due to the local-O2 and bulk-H+ transport resistances in the cathode catalyst layer (CCL). Particularly, the interaction of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer with the carbon supported platinum catalyst plays a critical role in controlling reactant transport to the active site. In this study, we perform a systematic analysis of the side chain length and equivalent weight (EW) of PFSA ionomers on the CCL transport resistances. Ex situ measurements were carried out to quantify the ionomer characteristics such as the molecular weight, proton conductivity and water uptake. Nanomorphology of ionomers cast as 60-120 nm thin-films is characterized using grazing-incidence X-ray scattering. In situ fuel cell electrochemical diagnostic measurements were carried out to quantify the reactant (H+/O2) transport properties of the CCL. Ionomer EW was found to play a major role with decreasing EW yielding higher proton conductivity and water uptake that led to lower bulk-H+ and local-O2 transport resistances in the CCL. Finally, a 1D-semi-empirical performance model has been developed to quantify the impact of ionomer EW on cell voltage loss factors.},
doi = {10.1149/1945-7111/abe5eb},
journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 2,
volume = 168,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Mon Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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