Fuel-cell catalyst-layer resistance via hydrogen limiting-current measurements

Tobias Schuler, Anamika Chowdhury, Anna T. Freiberg, Brian Sneed, Franz B. Spingler, Michael C. Tucker, Karren L. More, Clayton J. Radke, Adam Z. Weber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

107 Scopus citations

Abstract

Significant mass-transport resistances in polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell catalyst layers (CLs) impose a lower limit on Pt-loading levels, hindering wide-spread fuel-cell commercialization. The origin of this resistance remains unclear. Minimization of CL mass-transport resistance is imperative to achieve better CL design and performance. In this paper, an operando method based on H2 limiting current is used to characterize and quantify CL resistance in traditional porous Pt/carbon-based electrodes. CL sub-resistances are isolated using continuum multiscale modeling and experiments, investigating the effects of reactant molecular weight, pressure, and ionomer to carbon weight ratio. The results expose CL resistance including both interfacial and transport components, although the majority of the CL resistance is ascribed to a local resistance close to the Pt reaction sites, which includes interfacial resistance and local transport resistance. Variations in temperature, humidity, and primary particle loading (Pt:C ratio) highlight the impact of operating conditions and CL design parameters on CL sub-resistances. The observed trends guide optimization of CL design to achieve novel low-loaded fuel-cell electrodes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)F3020-F3031
JournalJournal of the Electrochemical Society
Volume166
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Funding

Funding support was supplied by the Fuel Cell Performance and Durability Consortium (FC-PAD), by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231. Microscopy conducted as part of a user proposal at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility. Research supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies, Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. DOE, and was conducted through the FC-PAD Consortium.

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