Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support

Chang Liu; Wonil Jung; Sungho Jeon; Grayson Johnson; Zixiao Shi; Langqiu Xiao; Shengsong Yang; Cheng Yu Chen; Jun Xu; Cherie R. Kagan; Sen Zhang; David A. Muller; Eric A. Stach; Christopher B. Murray; Thomas E. Mallouk

doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090

Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support

Chang Liu
, Wonil Jung
, Sungho Jeon
, Grayson Johnson
, Zixiao Shi
, Langqiu Xiao
, Shengsong Yang
, Cheng Yu Chen
, Jun Xu
, Cherie R. Kagan
, Sen Zhang
, David A. Muller
, Eric A. Stach
, Christopher B. Murray
, Thomas E. Mallouk

Surface Chemistry & Catalysis Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells represent a promising and scalable approach for hydrogen energy utilization. However, their development is hindered by the weak bonding between metal catalysts and carbon supports, along with challenges in fabricating electronically/ionically conductive electrodes. Here, we report a composite cathode of Nb-doped brookite TiO₂ nanorods that have robust stability when combined with Pt nanoscale catalysts in an alkaline fuel cell. The composite cathode, fabricated without the addition of an ionomer, delivers a power density of 419 mW cm⁻² at a current density of 650 mA cm⁻² and a voltage retention of 81% at 100 mA cm⁻² after 25 h, substantially outperforming a cathode fabricated from commercial Pt/C. Further investigations of the chemical structure, anion exchange capacity, and mass transfer resistance reveal that a solvent residue derived from N-methylpyrrolidone plays an important role in charge transfer and mass transport in the alkaline fuel cell.

Original language	English
Article number	102090
Journal	Cell Reports Physical Science
Volume	5
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090
State	Published - Jul 17 2024

Funding

This study was conducted within the framework of the Center for Alkaline-Based Energy Solutions ( CABES ), an Energy Frontier Research Center supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science , Basic Energy Sciences , under award DE- SC0019445 . The X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments were conducted with the use of the BMM ( 6-BM ) facility at the National Synchrotron Light Source II , a US DOE Office of Science User Facility managed for the DOE Office of Science by Brookhaven National Laboratory under contract no. DE- SC0012704 . (S)TEM data and images were collected in the Singh Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania , which is supported by the NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Program under grant NNCI-1542153 . Electrical conductivity measurements were supported by the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture ( IoT4Ag ) NSF ERC grant EEC-1941529 . SEIRAS measurements were supported by the US DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division ( DE-SC00234430 ).

Keywords

alkaline fuel cell
ionomer-free fabrication
metal oxide support

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10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090

Cite this

Liu, C., Jung, W., Jeon, S., Johnson, G., Shi, Z., Xiao, L., Yang, S., Chen, C. Y., Xu, J., Kagan, C. R., Zhang, S., Muller, D. A., Stach, E. A., Murray, C. B., & Mallouk, T. E. (2024). Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support. Cell Reports Physical Science, 5(7), Article 102090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090

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title = "Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support",

abstract = "Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells represent a promising and scalable approach for hydrogen energy utilization. However, their development is hindered by the weak bonding between metal catalysts and carbon supports, along with challenges in fabricating electronically/ionically conductive electrodes. Here, we report a composite cathode of Nb-doped brookite TiO2 nanorods that have robust stability when combined with Pt nanoscale catalysts in an alkaline fuel cell. The composite cathode, fabricated without the addition of an ionomer, delivers a power density of 419 mW cm−2 at a current density of 650 mA cm−2 and a voltage retention of 81\% at 100 mA cm−2 after 25 h, substantially outperforming a cathode fabricated from commercial Pt/C. Further investigations of the chemical structure, anion exchange capacity, and mass transfer resistance reveal that a solvent residue derived from N-methylpyrrolidone plays an important role in charge transfer and mass transport in the alkaline fuel cell.",

keywords = "alkaline fuel cell, ionomer-free fabrication, metal oxide support",

author = "Chang Liu and Wonil Jung and Sungho Jeon and Grayson Johnson and Zixiao Shi and Langqiu Xiao and Shengsong Yang and Chen, \{Cheng Yu\} and Jun Xu and Kagan, \{Cherie R.\} and Sen Zhang and Muller, \{David A.\} and Stach, \{Eric A.\} and Murray, \{Christopher B.\} and Mallouk, \{Thomas E.\}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090",

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T1 - Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support

AU - Liu, Chang

AU - Jung, Wonil

AU - Jeon, Sungho

AU - Johnson, Grayson

AU - Shi, Zixiao

AU - Xiao, Langqiu

AU - Yang, Shengsong

AU - Chen, Cheng Yu

AU - Xu, Jun

AU - Kagan, Cherie R.

AU - Zhang, Sen

AU - Muller, David A.

AU - Stach, Eric A.

AU - Murray, Christopher B.

AU - Mallouk, Thomas E.

PY - 2024/7/17

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N2 - Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells represent a promising and scalable approach for hydrogen energy utilization. However, their development is hindered by the weak bonding between metal catalysts and carbon supports, along with challenges in fabricating electronically/ionically conductive electrodes. Here, we report a composite cathode of Nb-doped brookite TiO2 nanorods that have robust stability when combined with Pt nanoscale catalysts in an alkaline fuel cell. The composite cathode, fabricated without the addition of an ionomer, delivers a power density of 419 mW cm−2 at a current density of 650 mA cm−2 and a voltage retention of 81% at 100 mA cm−2 after 25 h, substantially outperforming a cathode fabricated from commercial Pt/C. Further investigations of the chemical structure, anion exchange capacity, and mass transfer resistance reveal that a solvent residue derived from N-methylpyrrolidone plays an important role in charge transfer and mass transport in the alkaline fuel cell.

AB - Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells represent a promising and scalable approach for hydrogen energy utilization. However, their development is hindered by the weak bonding between metal catalysts and carbon supports, along with challenges in fabricating electronically/ionically conductive electrodes. Here, we report a composite cathode of Nb-doped brookite TiO2 nanorods that have robust stability when combined with Pt nanoscale catalysts in an alkaline fuel cell. The composite cathode, fabricated without the addition of an ionomer, delivers a power density of 419 mW cm−2 at a current density of 650 mA cm−2 and a voltage retention of 81% at 100 mA cm−2 after 25 h, substantially outperforming a cathode fabricated from commercial Pt/C. Further investigations of the chemical structure, anion exchange capacity, and mass transfer resistance reveal that a solvent residue derived from N-methylpyrrolidone plays an important role in charge transfer and mass transport in the alkaline fuel cell.

KW - alkaline fuel cell

KW - ionomer-free fabrication

KW - metal oxide support

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85198550778

U2 - 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090

DO - 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102090

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85198550778

SN - 2666-3864

VL - 5

JO - Cell Reports Physical Science

JF - Cell Reports Physical Science

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M1 - 102090

ER -

Stabilizing alkaline fuel cells with a niobium-doped brookite titanium dioxide catalyst support

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