High-Performance Fuel Cells with a Plasma-Etched Polymer Electrolyte Membrane with Microhole Arrays

Abstract

Interface engineering based on the design and fabrication of micro/nanostructures has received much attention as an effective way to improve the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells while using the same materials and quantity. Herein, we fabricated spatially hole-array patterned PEMs with different hole depths using both the plasma etching process and a polymeric stencil with 40 μm-sized apertures. This novel technological approach exhibited high pattern fidelity over a large area and controllability in the pattern depth while excluding the problems of contact-based conventional patterning processes. All the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with the patterned PEMs with an etch depth of 4 μm (PE4-MEA), 8 μm (PE8-MEA), and 12 μm (PE12-MEA) showed higher performance than the reference MEA with a pristine PEM. Among the modified MEAs, the PE8-MEA showed the highest performance enhancement because of the locally thinning effect of the PEM, geometrically favorable features for mass transport, and increased interfacial contact area between the PEM and the catalyst layer.

Oxygen Plasma-Mediated Microstructured Hydrocarbon Membrane for Improving Interface Adhesion and Mass Transport in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

“…Furthermore, from the measured mechanical properties of the membrane (Figure S6), the reference and C-HC show similar ultimate tensile strengths, Young’s modulus, and elongation at the break. However, the MC-HC showed a little decrease in elongation at the break due to the stress concentration effect at the edges of the microsized structures. − …”

Multiscale Architectured Membranes, Electrodes, and Transport Layers for Next‐Generation Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

“…Studies on diverse microelectromechanical systems (a technique for securing the precise design and reproducibility of the surface structure) have endeavored to fabricate nanoscale/ macroscale pattern structures on the electrolyte membrane surface. [80][81][82] In the initial stages of these studies, direct patterning of the membrane using electron beam (e-beam) lithography was implemented. [83] Omosebi et al [84] reported that e-beam lithography coupled with a dry etching method could fabricate a well-ordered micro-hole array (2 µm in diameter and 5 µm in pitch size).…”

Oil-gated isoporous membrane with micro-apertures for controllable pressure-induced passive flow regulator

“…By using a so-lithographic method, membranes with isoporous and various pore sizes/thicknesses can be made easily at a low cost in a short time. 22,23 Since the membrane is ultra-thin (<120 mm in this study) and exible, it is spaceefficient and easy to integrate even into the curved system, which paves the way for customization of the design, size, and construction of the water-owing systems. To show the advantages and usefulness of the OGIM based water owing system, ne-tuned liquid ow systems with OGIM have been demonstrated in this study.…”