Enhancing durability of polymer electrolyte membrane using cation size selective agents

Agarwal, Tanya; Sievert, Allen C.; Babu, Siddharth Komini; Adhikari, Santosh; Park, Eun Joo; Prasad, Ajay K.; Advani, Suresh G.; Hopkins, Thomas S.; Park, Andrew M.; Kim, Yu Seung; Borup, Rodney L.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2023.233362

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Therefore, it is necessary to employ a strategy that can address both the corrosion of the MBP itself and the contamination of other components by eluted cations. To this end, we have paid attention to the formation of a host–guest complex between metal cations and crown ethers (CEs). , The CEs are macrocyclic molecules that consist of several ethylene oxide groups and are named according to the number of those repeating units such as 18-crown-6 (18C6), 15-crown-5 (15C5), and 12-crown-4 (12C4). − They have lone pair electrons on oxygen atoms and thus can capture metal cations at the inner space of the ring. , Thus, they have been applied to the membrane and catalyst layer within the field of fuel cells due to its ability to capture metal cations. − Meanwhile, organic molecules containing heteroatoms such as N, O, P, and S, like CEs, have been investigated as an additive for surface modification , because they can interact with the material’s surface through the heteroatoms and produce a protective layer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Crown Ether Additives on the Enhanced Performance of Metallic Bipolar Plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Oh,

Kim,

Nam

2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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One of the key components of the fuel cell stack is a metallic bipolar plate (MBP) that plays multiple roles, such as current collector, fuel and oxidant distributor, and mechanical support. However, corrosion and consequent metal elution are major drawbacks of the MBP because they diminish the efficiency and power performance of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs). Herein, we show that the crown ether (CE) additive can simultaneously inhibit surface corrosion of the MBP and act as a scavenger for eluted metal ions to alleviate contamination of other components. From the electrochemical measurement, high-resolution imaging, and elemental analysis, we have found that the CE undergoes electrolytic decomposition and makes an efficient protective layer in an in situ manner. This layer prevents direct contact between the MBP and electrolyte as well as the dissolution of metal ions into the electrolyte. In addition, we demonstrate that the CE can improve the recovery protocol of the MEA owing to the formation of host−guest complexes between the CE and metal cations. These results provide key insights into the design of high-performance MBPs for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Crown Ether Additives on the Enhanced Performance of Metallic Bipolar Plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Oh,

Kim,

Nam

2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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“…The new membranes showed excellent chemical stability after oxidative degradation under Fenton test conditions at 80 °C and durability compared with that of commercial Nafion 115 membranes. Agarwal et al [ 25 ] noted that the introduction of radical scavenger additives, such as cerium, is a promising solution to the problem of membrane destruction. One of the directions for membrane stabilization is the creation of membranes based on more stable ionomers [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability of Graphene/Nafion Composite in PEM FC Electrodes

Krasnova,

Glebova,

Kastsova

et al. 2024

Nanomaterials

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Ensuring the stable operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is conducive to their real-world application. A promising direction for stabilizing electrodes is the stabilization of the ionomer via the formation of surface compounds with graphene. A comprehensive study of the (electrochemical, chemical, and thermal) stability of composites for fuel cell electrodes containing a modifying additive of few-layer graphene was carried out. Electrochemical stability was studied by cycling the potential on a disk electrode for 5000 cycles. Chemical stability was assessed via the resistance of the composites to H2O2 treatment using ion-selective potentiometry. Thermal stability was studied using differential thermal analysis. Composites were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, EDX, and SEM. It was shown that graphene inhibits Nafion degradation when exposed to heat. Contrariwise, Nafion is corrosive to graphene. During electrochemical and chemical exposure, the determining change for carbon-rich composites is the carbon loss (oxidation) of the carbon material. In the case of carbon-poor composites, the removal of fluorine and sulfur from the Nafion polymer with their partial replacement by oxygen prevails. In all cases, the F/S ratio is stable. The dispersity of Nafion in a sample affects its chemical stability more than the G/Nafion ratio does.

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“…[5,6] While attempts have been made to immobilize cerium within the membrane to enhance its oxidative stability, such solutions can pose additional challenges in terms of cell design. [6][7][8] Alternatively, a promising yet relatively unexplored approach to increasing the oxidative stability of PFSA membranes involves the use of organic antioxidants. Organic antioxidants offer advantages such as ease of incorporation and compatibility with the membrane and have the potential for reduced migration under FC operation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosourced Antioxidants for Chemical Durability Enhancement of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane

Agarwal,

Adhikari,

Babu

et al. 2023

Adv Funct Materials

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The chemical durability of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes is a topic of growing interest to meet Department of Energy (DOE) durability targets for heavy‐duty vehicle (HDV) applications. State‐of‐the‐art membranes like Nafion, rely on the use of cerium, heteropolyacids, and other inorganic additives to increase PFSA chemical durability. A less explored avenue for the oxidative stabilization of PFSA and hydrocarbon membranes is the use of organic antioxidants. No reversible organic antioxidant has been demonstrated to date which can enhance membrane lifetime by factors comparable to cerium. Here, ellagic acid (EA) is demonstrated as a promising radical scavenger for PFSA's. It is found that the incorporation of EA enhances the chemical durability of Nafion by 160%. EA, when incorporated with cerium as an electron donorenhances Nafion durability by at least 80% compared to a membrane incorporated with just cerium in DOE‐defined durability tests. EA is found to be reversible in acidic conditions like those of fuel cells and its reversibility could be further enhanced by the use of suitable co‐antioxidants.

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Enhancing durability of polymer electrolyte membrane using cation size selective agents

Cited by 5 publications

References 43 publications

Effect of Crown Ether Additives on the Enhanced Performance of Metallic Bipolar Plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Effect of Crown Ether Additives on the Enhanced Performance of Metallic Bipolar Plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Stability of Graphene/Nafion Composite in PEM FC Electrodes

Biosourced Antioxidants for Chemical Durability Enhancement of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane

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