Depositing Catalyst Layers in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: A Review

Strong, Austin; Thornberry, Courtney; Beattie, Shane D.; Chen, Rongrong; Coles, Stuart R.

doi:10.1115/1.4031961

Cited by 36 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 113 publications

(101 reference statements)

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“…Other CL manufacture techniques have been developed that possess a large increase in availability and scalability of different processes. Descriptions of preparation methods have been reviewed elsewhere [ 466,467 ] and are widely classified into categories such as spreading and spraying methods. Although from the perspective of this review, manufacturing is best considered from the relative ease and cost of use in an academic or commercial environment and the impact that techniques have on CL morphology.…”

Section: Catalyst Layer Preparation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering Catalyst Layers for Next‐Generation Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: A Review of Design, Materials, and Methods

Suter

Smith

Hack

et al. 2021

Advanced Energy Materials

134

115

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Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are a promising replacement for the fossil fuel–dependent automotive and energy sectors. They have become increasingly commercialized in the last decade; however, significant limitations on durability and performance limit their commercial uptake. Catalyst layer (CL) design is commonly reported to impact device power density and durability; although, a consensus is rarely reached due to differences in testing conditions, experimental design, and types of data reported. This is further exacerbated by aspects of CL design such as catalyst support, proton conduction, catalyst, fabrication, and morphology, being significantly interdependent; hence, a wider appreciation is required in order to optimize performance, improve durability, and reduce costs. Here, the cutting‐edge research within the field of PEFCs is reviewed, investigating the effect of different manufacturing techniques, electrolyte distribution, support materials, surface chemistries, and total porosity on power density and durability. These are critically appraised from an applied perspective to inform the most relevant and promising pathways to make and test commercially viable cells. This holistic view of the competing aspects of CL design and preparation will facilitate the development of optimized CLs, especially the incorporation of novel catalyst support materials.

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Section: Catalyst Layer Preparation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering Catalyst Layers for Next‐Generation Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: A Review of Design, Materials, and Methods

Suter

Smith

Hack

et al. 2021

Advanced Energy Materials

134

115

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The catalyst layer, in direct contact with the membrane and the GDL, is typically composed of a thin film (5-20 µm) [26,27] of highly dispersed platinum nano-particles (~3-5 nm) deposited on carbon particles (~30-50 nm) [28,29], with a Nafion ionomer additive to enhance the triple phase boundaries between the electrolyte, catalyst and the gaseous fuel [30,31]. It is either coated onto the microporous medium of the GDL or onto the Nafion membrane, via hand-painting, air-brushing, screen printing or sputtering [6,11,[32][33][34]. The fabrication method used imparts different advantages;…”

Section: Membrane Electrode Assemblymentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Hot Pressed Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Assemblies via X-ray Computed Tomography

Meyer¹,

Mansor²,

Iacoviello³

et al. 2017

Electrochimica Acta

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The hot pressing process for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) has been widely adopted, yet little is known of its effects on the microstructural properties of the different components of the MEA. In particular, the interaction of the electrolyte, electrode and gas diffusion layer (GDL) due to lamination is difficult to probe as conventional imaging techniques cannot access the internal structure of the MEA. Here, a novel approach is used, which combines characterisation of hot-pressed membrane electrode assemblies using X-ray computed tomography, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and atomic force microscopy, with electrochemical performance measurements from polarisation curves and high-frequency impedance spectroscopy. Membrane electrode assemblies hot pressed at 100 o C, 130 o C and 170 o C reveal significant differences in microstructure, which has a consequence for the performance. When hot pressed at 100 o C, which is lower than the glass transition temperature of Nafion (123 o C), the catalyst only partially bonds with the Nafion membrane, leading to increased Ohmic resistance. At 170 o C, the Nafion membrane intrudes into the electrode, forming pinholes, degrading the catalyst layer and filling pores in the GDL. Finally, at 130 o C, the interfacial contact is optimum, with similar roughness factor between the catalyst and Nafion membrane surface, indicating effective lamination of layers.

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“…The catalyst layer (CL), in direct contact with the membrane and the GDL, is typically composed of a thin film (5–20 µm) , of highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles (∼3–5 nm) deposited on carbon particles (∼30–50 nm) , , with a Nafion ionomer additive to enhance triple‐phase boundaries (TPBs) , . It is either coated onto the microporous medium of the GDL or onto the Nafion membrane, via hand‐painting, air‐brushing, screen‐printing or sputtering . The fabrication method used imparts different advantages; for example, coating the catalyst layer (CL) directly onto the Nafion membrane can improve the ionic contact at this interface, potentially creating a more extensive electrochemical surface area and lower contact resistance .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐Scale Imaging of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells using X‐ray Micro‐ and Nano‐Computed Tomography, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Helium‐Ion Microscopy

et al. 2019

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Multi‐length scale imaging of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) membrane electrode assembly (MEA) materials is a powerful tool for studying, understanding and furthering improvements in materials engineering, performance and durability. A hot pressed MEA has been imaged using X‐ray micro‐ and nano‐computed tomography (CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and recently developed helium‐ion microscopy (HeIM). X‐ray nano‐CT captures a volume containing all of the relevant fuel cell interfaces, from the carbon fiber of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) to the Nafion membrane with a field‐of‐view of 5 µm and a pixel size of 64 nm. Features identified include linear marks on the carbon fiber surface, agglomerates of carbon nanoparticles in the microporous layer (MPL), and intrusion of the catalyst layer material into the Nafion membrane during the hot‐pressing process. HeIM has enabled imaging of a large area of MEA from tens of micrometers to sub‐nanometers pixel resolution without any sample preparation, and has captured similar features to X‐ray micro‐CT and nano‐CT. Furthermore, at its highest resolution, the platinum and carbon catalyst nanoparticles can be distinguished at the surface of the catalyst layer, overcoming the limitations of SEM and TEM.

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Depositing Catalyst Layers in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: A Review

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 36 publications

References 113 publications

Engineering Catalyst Layers for Next‐Generation Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: A Review of Design, Materials, and Methods

Engineering Catalyst Layers for Next‐Generation Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: A Review of Design, Materials, and Methods

Investigation of Hot Pressed Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Assemblies via X-ray Computed Tomography

Multi‐Scale Imaging of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells using X‐ray Micro‐ and Nano‐Computed Tomography, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Helium‐Ion Microscopy

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