Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed Pt/C catalyst layers for polymer-electrolyte fuel cells

Julio J. Conde; M. Antonia Folgado; P. Ferreira-Aparicio; Antonio M. Chaparro; Anamika Chowdhury; Ahmet Kusoglu; David Cullen; Adam Z. Weber

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.04.079

Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed Pt/C catalyst layers for polymer-electrolyte fuel cells

Julio J. Conde, M. Antonia Folgado, P. Ferreira-Aparicio, Antonio M. Chaparro, Anamika Chowdhury, Ahmet Kusoglu, David Cullen, Adam Z. Weber

Materials MicroAnalysis

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Abstract

Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed catalyst-layers based on Pt/C and ionomer (Nafion) are studied with hydrogen limiting-current technique, water-vapor-uptake, scanning transmission microscopy (STEM), single-cell testing, and impedance spectroscopy. The hydrogen limiting-current technique provides the transport resistance of the layers (R_CL^mt), which shows to be lower in electrosprayed layers compared with conventional layers, especially at very low platinum loadings (0.025 mg_Pt·cm⁻²) and low cell temperature, denoting superior mass-transport properties. Images of the distribution of Pt, F, and C elements reveal the ionomer preferentially interacting with the Pt nanoparticles. Water-vapor-uptake experiments show larger vapor absorption for electrosprayed than conventional catalyst layers. Such large water-vapor uptake capability is combined with superhydrophobicity, ie. very low interaction with water in liquid phase (wettability). Both apparently contradictory properties result from a particular configuration of the amphiphilic ionomer in the electrosprayed layers, and provide ideal conditions for high mass transport and ionic conductivity in a catalyst layer. Electrosprayed layers as cathode catalyst layers show peak response at a loading of 0.17 mg_Pt·cm⁻² (18 μm layer thickness when using Pt/C 20 wt% catalyst) where they provide minimal mass-transport and polarization resistances.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	250-259
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Power Sources
Volume	427
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.04.079
State	Published - Jul 1 2019

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), Project E-LIG-E, ENE2015-70417-P (MINECO/FEDER). Microscopy conducted at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility. LBNL and ORNL research was supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. DOE, and was conducted through the FC-PAD Consortium. This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain , and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), Project E-LIG-E , ENE2015-70417-P ( MINECO/FEDER ). Microscopy conducted at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility. LBNL and ORNL research was supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , U.S. DOE, and was conducted through the FC-PAD Consortium.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
European Regional Development Fund	E-LIG-E, ENE2015-70417-P

Keywords

Catalyst layer
Electrospray
Mass transport
PEMFC
Thin porous film
Water uptake

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.04.079

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title = "Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed Pt/C catalyst layers for polymer-electrolyte fuel cells",

abstract = "Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed catalyst-layers based on Pt/C and ionomer (Nafion) are studied with hydrogen limiting-current technique, water-vapor-uptake, scanning transmission microscopy (STEM), single-cell testing, and impedance spectroscopy. The hydrogen limiting-current technique provides the transport resistance of the layers (RCLmt), which shows to be lower in electrosprayed layers compared with conventional layers, especially at very low platinum loadings (0.025 mgPt·cm−2) and low cell temperature, denoting superior mass-transport properties. Images of the distribution of Pt, F, and C elements reveal the ionomer preferentially interacting with the Pt nanoparticles. Water-vapor-uptake experiments show larger vapor absorption for electrosprayed than conventional catalyst layers. Such large water-vapor uptake capability is combined with superhydrophobicity, ie. very low interaction with water in liquid phase (wettability). Both apparently contradictory properties result from a particular configuration of the amphiphilic ionomer in the electrosprayed layers, and provide ideal conditions for high mass transport and ionic conductivity in a catalyst layer. Electrosprayed layers as cathode catalyst layers show peak response at a loading of 0.17 mgPt·cm−2 (18 μm layer thickness when using Pt/C 20 wt% catalyst) where they provide minimal mass-transport and polarization resistances.",

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AU - Folgado, M. Antonia

AU - Ferreira-Aparicio, P.

AU - Chaparro, Antonio M.

AU - Chowdhury, Anamika

AU - Kusoglu, Ahmet

AU - Cullen, David

AU - Weber, Adam Z.

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Mass-transport properties of electrosprayed Pt/C catalyst layers for polymer-electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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