Modulation of transport at the interface in the microporous layer for high power density proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Ningran Wu; Ye Liu; Shengping Zhang; Dandan Hou; Ruizhi Yang; Yue Qi; Luda Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.089

Modulation of transport at the interface in the microporous layer for high power density proton exchange membrane fuel cells

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Mar:657:428-437. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.089. Epub 2023 Nov 28.

Authors

Ningran Wu¹, Ye Liu², Shengping Zhang¹, Dandan Hou², Ruizhi Yang³, Yue Qi², Luda Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China; Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Technology Innovation Center of Graphene Metrology and Standardization for State Market Regulation, Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China.
² Technology Innovation Center of Graphene Metrology and Standardization for State Market Regulation, Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China.
³ College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials Innovations, Key Laboratory of Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China.
⁴ National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China; Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Technology Innovation Center of Graphene Metrology and Standardization for State Market Regulation, Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China. Electronic address: luda.wang@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 38056047
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.089

Abstract

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a device that demonstrates a significant potential for environmental sustainability, since it efficiently converts chemical energy into electrical energy. The microporous layer (MPL) in PEM fuel cells promotes gas transport and eliminates water. Nevertheless, the power density of PEM fuel cells is restricted by ohmic losses and mass transport losses in conventional MPLs. In this study, we enhanced the power density of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells through the identification of appropriate materials and the mitigation of mass transport losses occurring at the interface between the microporous layer and the catalyst layer. The incorporation of high electron conductivity, slip behavior at the interface between graphene and water, and rapid water evaporation facilitated by nanoporous graphene effectively address transport-related challenges. We evaluated two types of graphene as potential substitutes for carbon black in the microporous layer (MPL). The enhanced power density (up to 1.1 W cm^-2) under all humidity conditions and reduced mass transport resistance (a 75 % reduction compared to carbon black MPL) make them promising candidates for next-generation PEM fuel cells. Furthermore, these findings provide guidance for controlling interfacial mass transport in colloidal systems.

Keywords: Environmentally friendly; Graphene; Microporous layer; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells; Water and gas transport.