Solving Materials Challenges for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells require disruptive solutions in materials in order to address the remaining challenges in increasing performance and durability while also reducing costs. Only then will the expectations for... [ view full abstract ]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells require disruptive solutions in materials in order to address the remaining challenges in increasing performance and durability while also reducing costs. Only then will the expectations for broad market introduction be met. These challenges include very thin polymer membranes with exceptional chemical and mechanical stability and low electrical resistance, reducing or even totally replacing platinum group metals at the fuel cell electrodes, without compromising activity or stability, and corrosion-resistant, highly conducting catalyst supports. Moreover, increasing the power density of membrane electrode assemblies requires optimisation of all interfaces to reduce resistive contributions.

We will describe some original approaches to proton exchange membrane fuel cell materials including new architectures for fuel cell electrodes, membranes and their reinforcement and chemical stabilisation components, and their integration in membrane electrode assemblies for next generation fuel cells.

Mitigation of Fuel Cell PFSA Membrane Chemical Degradation using Composite Cerium Oxide-PFSA Nanofibres, M. Zaton, J. Rozière, D. J. Jones, J. Mater. Chem. A, (2017), 5, 5390 – 5401. 

Current
Understanding of Chemical Degradation Mechanisms of Perfluorosulfonic
Acid Membranes and their Mitigation Strategies: A Review, M. Zaton, J. Rozière, D. J. Jones, Sustainable Energy & Fuels, (2017) 1, 409-438

Design of Heterogeneities and Interfaces with Nanofibers in Fuel Cell Membranes, M. Zaton, S. Cavaliere, D. J. Jones, J. Rozière, in:  Handbook of Nanofibers, A. Barhoum et al. (eds.), Springer International Publishing AG 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42789-8_32-1 

Towards Ultrathin Pt Films on Nanofibres by Surface-Limited Electrodeposition for Electrocatalytic Applications,                                                                             G. Ercolano, F. Farina, S. Cavaliere D. J. Jones, J. Rozière, J. Mater. Chem. A, (2017), 5, 3974-3980.

Toward PGM-free Catalysts for H₂/air Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells,       F. Jaouen, D. Jones, N. Coutard, V. Artero, P. Strasser, A. Kucernak, Johnson Matthey Technical Review (2018) 62.