Durable ultra‐low‐platinum ionomer‐free anode catalyst for hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract

Summary An ultra‐low‐platinum catalyst based on finely dispersed platinum (Pt) deposited on a highly porous complex microporous layer was investigated as a candidate of durable anode catalyst for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Etching of teflonated and nitridized base carbon substrate in oxygen plasma and simultaneous deposition of cerium oxide were applied to increase active surface area and electrochemical activity of the platinum nanocatalyst. Ultra‐low loadings of Pt (between 0.85 and 8.5 μg cm−2) deposited by magnetron sputtering on this substrate were assembled with Nafion 212 membrane and commercially available Pt/C cathodes (300‐400 μg cm−2 Pt). Such membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with extremely low Pt content at anode can deliver high output power densities, reaching 0.95 W cm−2 or 0.65 W cm−2 with only 1.7 μg cm−2 of Pt, using H2 as fuel and pure O2 or air as an oxidant, respectively. Although electrocatalysts with highly dispersed active metals are known to often suffer from irreversible degradation, the above MEAs proved to be very stable when the cell was subjected to a durability test under heavy duty conditions of on/off cycling. The system with lower Pt content is more prone to water flooding which can, however, be eliminated by maintaining better control over the fuel humidity. Average decay of the cell voltage less than 50 μV h−1 was obtained in the cycling regime, while excellent stability <10 μV h−1 is achievable under the static load of 0.4 A cm−2.

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“…A complex electrochemical process characterizes the fuel cell system with one type of conductivity, while each component of the fuel cell should meet specific requirements, meeting which does not always guarantee high efficiency in actual conditions [21,22].…”

Effect of composition and structure of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the through‐plane gas permeability of PEFC porous media

“…size flexibility. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] PEFC components need to demonstrate high transport properties whilst maintaining proper water and thermal management within the cell to achieve these desirable properties. The gas diffusion media (GDM) forms a crucial link between the thermal and water management and the electrochemical activity in the PEFC.…”

Carbon and graphene quantum dots in fuel cell application: An overview

“…However, hydrogen may also play a large role in a low carbon future 5‐9 : counterbalancing energy for easy storage and transport, as a zero‐carbon energy carrier 10,1112 providing a more secure fossil‐driven energy system 13,14 ; allowing for transport versatility, 15,16 heat industry, 17 industry 18 and the electro power sector 19 . Together these accounts represent two‐thirds of the total number of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions (Figure 1).…”