Open AccessPreparation of High Performance and Ultra-Low Platinum Loading Membrane Electrode Assembly for PEMFC Commercial Application
Author(s) -
Shengchu Liu,
Shang Li,
Ruyi Wang,
Yan Rao,
Qing Zhong,
Hong Kang,
Mu Pan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the electrochemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1945-7111
pISSN - 0013-4651
DOI - 10.1149/2.0151916jes
Subject(s) - proton exchange membrane fuel cell , scanning electron microscope , membrane electrode assembly , materials science , dielectric spectroscopy , platinum , electrode , electrochemistry , catalysis , cathode , ternary operation , chemical engineering , analytical chemistry (journal) , membrane , energy dispersive x ray spectroscopy , composite material , chemistry , electrolyte , chromatography , biochemistry , computer science , engineering , programming language
In this paper, we evaluated the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities of Pt/C, PtCo/C, and PtCoMn/C catalysts using charge-transfer resistance (R ct ) and ΔR ct onset voltage from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as indicators in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) over a wide voltage range of 0.66 V∼0.95 V. ORR activity of the PtCoMn/C ternary alloy catalyst is higher than that of Pt/C over a large voltage range. A decal transfer method was used to prepare a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with PtCoMn/C as a cathode catalyst. The cross-sectional micrograph of MEA-PtCoMn/C was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. A continuous ultrathin cathode catalyst layer that was 3 μm thick was successfully prepared. The performance of MEA-PtCoMn/C with an ultralow Pt loading of 0.147 mg/cm 2 was evaluated using the single cell test. The highest achieved power density of MEA-PtCoMn/C was 1.42 W/cm 2 . The corresponding amount of platinum was 0.1035 gPt/kW, which reaches the index of the Department of Energy (DOE).