Abstract
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) provide a renewable source of energy through the redox reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gas; however, operation relies on a costly platinum catalyst layer. This study investigates how electrospun catalyst layers may be employed to increase the surface area:volume ratio for catalysis to optimize PEMFC performance. When preparing electrospinning solutions, several base polymers were evaluated in varying concentrations to optimize fiber formation, with poly(acrylic acid) found to be preferable at a 12 wt% concentration. Ultimately, PEMFCs with electrospun catalyst layers achieved a 108% increase in power output compared to those air-sprayed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. Mirjalili and S. Zohoori: Review for application of electrospinning and electrospun nanofibers technology in textile industry. J. Nanostruct. Chem. 6, 207–213 (2016).
C. Zhao, Z. Xin, J. Aiyun, and P. Zhijuan: Adhesion and protective properties of polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous composite fabrics. J. Text. Inst 109, 1263–1269 (2018).
Z.-M. Huang, Y.-Z. Zhang, M. Kotaki, and S. Ramakrishna: A review on polymer nanofibers by electrospinning and their applications in nano-composites. Compos. Sci. Technol. 63, 2223–2253 (2003).
I. Abidat, C. Morais, S. Pronier, N. Guignard, J.D. Comparot, C. Canaff, T. Nappron, A. Habrioux, A.-S. Mamede, J.-F. Lamonier, and K.B. Kokoh: Effect of gradual reduction of graphene oxide on the CO tolerance of supported platinum nanoparticles. Carbon 111, 849–858 (2017).
R. Bajon, S. Balaji, and S.M. Guo: Electrospun Nafion nanofiber for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application. J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. 6, 031004 (2009).
J.D. Snyder and Y.A. Elabd: Nafion® nanofibers and their effect on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance. J. Power Sources 186, 352–392 (2008).
J. Choi, M.L. Kyung, R. Wycisk, P.N. Pintauro, and P.T. Mather: Nanofiber network ion-exchange membranes. Macromolecules 41, 4569–4572 (2008).
T. Tamura and H. Kawakami: Aligned electrospun nanofiber composite membranes for fuel cell electrolytes. Nanoletters 10, 1324–1328 (2010).
W. Zhang and P.N. Pintauro: High‐performance nanofiber fuel cell electrodes. Chem. Sustain. Commun. 4, 1753–1757 (2011).
X. Wang, F.W. Richey, K.H. Wujcik, R. Ventura, K. Mattson, and Y.A. Elabd: Effect of polytetrafluoroethylene on ultra-low platinum loaded elec-trospun/electrosprayed electrodes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochim. Acta 139, 217–224 (2014).
K.M. Lee, J. Choi, R. Wycisk, P.N. Pintauro, and P. Mather: Nafion nano-fiber membranes. ECS Trans. 25, 1451–1458 (2009).
J.B. Ballengee and P.N. Pintauro: Morphological control of electrospun Nafion nanofiber mats. J. Electrochem. Soc 158, B568–B572 (2011).
H. Chen, J.D. Snyder, and Y.A. Elabd: Electrospinning and solution properties of Nafion and poly(acrylic acid). Macromolecules 41, 128–135 (2008).
J. Zhang: PEM Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts and Catalyst Layers: Fundamentals and Applications (Springer-Verlag, London, 2008), pp. 965–1002.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Supplementary materials
Supplementary materials
The supplementary material for this article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2019.144.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, G.H., Kelly, D., Shine, A. et al. Electrospinning deposition of poly(acrylic acid): platinum/carbon catalyst ink to enhance polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance. MRS Communications 9, 1343–1348 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2019.144
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2019.144