Implementing PGM-free electrocatalysts in high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Rohan Gokhale, Tristan Asset, Guoqing Qian, Alexey Serov, Kateryna Artyushkova, Brian C. Benicewicz, Plamen Atanassov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) face numerous challenges, involving the membrane nature and the active material for the cathodic reaction. A way to achieve more efficient PEMFCs is to increase their operating temperature above 373 K: High-Temperature PEMFCs (HT-PEMFCs). In this communication, we introduce for the first time the use of platinum group metal-free electrocatalysts (PGM-free) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in HT-PEMFC, namely an iron‑nitrogen‑carbon (Fe-N-C) electrocatalyst synthesized by the sacrificial support method and discuss their performances. A cell voltage of 0.43 V was observed at 0.2 A cmgeo −2, this activity being greatly improved by increasing the back-pressure of the PEMFC (from 0.0 to 3.0 × 105 Pa), reaching a polarization of 0.65 V at 0.2 A cmgeo −2 (at 433 K, O2 at the cathode), thus proving that the main limitations of the HT-PEMFC with a Fe-N-C cathode were not induced by the intrinsic activity of the electrocatalyst, but by the transport of the oxygen throughout the electrocatalyst structure.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)91-94
Number of pages4
JournalElectrochemistry Communications
Volume93
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2018
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The work at UNM has been supported by DOE-EERE FCTO Incubator program : “Innovative Non-PGM Catalysts for High-Temperature PEMFCs” DE- EE0006965 (PI: S. Mukerjee, NEU). BCB and GQ would like to gratefully acknowledge support from the SC Smart State program.

Keywords

  • Back-pressure
  • High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell
  • Non‑platinum metal group electrocatalysts
  • Single-cell

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