Fabrication, In-Situ Performance, and Durability of Nanofiber Fuel Cell Electrodes. Issue 1 (1st January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brodt, Matthew; Han, Taehee; Dale, Nilesh; Niangar, Ellazar; Wycisk, Ryszard; Pintauro, Peter
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. Volume 162:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: F84
• Page End: F91
• Publication Date: 2015-01-01
• Subjects: Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.3705
• DOI: 10.1149/2.0651501jes
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4651

Abstract

Abstract : A series of electrospun nanofiber mat electrodes with two different commercial Pt/C catalysts and a binder of Nafion and poly(acrylic acid) were fabricated and evaluated. The electrodes were assembled into membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) using Nafion 211 as the membrane. Variations in catalyst type, nanofiber composition (the ratio of Pt/C to Nafion), and fiber diameter had little or no impact on hydrogen/air fuel cell power output. 25 cm 2 nanofiber and sprayed gas diffusion electrode MEAs were compared in terms of beginning of life (BoL) and end of life (EoL) performance after automotive-specific load cycling (Pt dissolution) and start-stop cycling (carbon corrosion) cathode durability protocols. Nanofiber electrode MEAs (0.10 mg/cm 2 Pt loading for the anode and cathode) were clearly superior to sprayed MEAs; they produced more power at BoL and maintained a higher percentage of their power after the carbon corrosion durability protocol, resulting in much higher EoL fuel cell performance. On the other hand, there was no effect of electrode morphology on MEA durability for the Pt dissolution test. The higher MEA power output after carbon corrosion with electrospun electrodes is attributed to better oxygen and water transport within the nanofiber electrode and a higher electrochemical surface area for the fiber cathode.