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Cited by 426Fuel Cells and Related MaterialsElectrocatalysts for Energy ConversionAdvancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

On the Micro-, Meso-, and Macroporous Structures of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers

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Soboleva, Tatyana, Zhao, Xinsheng, Malek, Kourosh, Xie, Zhong, Navessin, Titichai, Holdcroft, Steven·2010·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
DOI 10.1021/am900600y
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Abstract

In this work, N(2) adsorption was employed to investigate the effects of carbon support, platinum, and ionomer loading on the microstructure of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell catalyst layers (CLs). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and t-plot analyses of adsorption isotherms and pore-size distributions were used to study the microstructure of carbon supports, platinum/carbon catalyst powders, and three-component platinum/carbon/ionomer CLs. Two types of carbon supports were chosen for the investigation: Ketjen Black and Vulcan XC-72. CLs with a range of Nafion ionomer loadings were studied in order to evaluate the effect of an ionomer on the CL microstructure. Regions of adsorption were differentiated into micropores associated with the carbon primary particles (<2 nm), mesopores ascribed to the void space inside agglomerates (2-20 nm), and meso- to macroporous space inside aggregates of agglomerates (>50 nm). Ketjen Black was found to possess a significant fraction of micropores, 25% of the total pore volume, in contrast to Vulcan XC-72, for which the corresponding fraction of micropores was 15% of the total pore volume. The microstructure of the carbon support was found to be a significant factor in the formation of the microstructure in the three-component CLs, serving as a rigid porous framework for distribution of platinum and the ionomer. It was found that platinum particle deposition on Ketjen Black occurs in, or at the mouth of, the support's micropores, thus affecting its effective microporosity, whereas platinum deposition on Vulcan XC-72 did not significantly affect the support's microstructure. The codeposition of ionomer in the CL strongly influenced its porosity, covering pores < 20 nm, which are ascribed to the pores within the primary carbon particles (pore sizes < 2 nm) and to the pores within agglomerates of the particles (pore sizes of 2-20 nm).

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  • The secondary catalyst-ionomer agglomerates usually exhibit a bimodal pore size distribution, including 2-20 nm-sized pores within primary agglomerates and larger over 20 nm-sized pores between primary agglomerates in the secondary agglomerates.

    “Therefore, the secondary catalyst-ionomer agglomerates usually exhibit a bimodal pore size distribution, including 2-20 nm-sized pores within primary agglomerates and larger over 20 nm-sized pores between primary agglomerates in the secondary agglomerates-the former is often referred to as the primary pores, and the latter the secondary pores [47,48].”

    From Effect of Catalyst Ink and Formation Process on the Multiscale Structure of Catalyst Layers in PEM Fuel Cells (2022) · cites this paper as [48]

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Authors
Soboleva, T., Zhao, X., Malek, K., Xie, Z., Navessin, T., & Holdcroft, S.
Affiliations
Simon Fraser University (CA)
Corresponding author
Holdcroft, Steven
ORCID
Venue
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Published
2010-01-12
Volume
2
Issue
2
Pages
375-384
ISSN
  • 1944-8244 (ISSN-L)
  • 1944-8252
DOI
10.1021/am900600y
OpenAlex
W2031049203
Cited by
424
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 9
FWCI
8.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • NPARC (submittedVersion)
Funders
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Fuel Cells and Related Materials
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Advancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Keywords
proton exchange membrane fuel cells, catalyst layer, pore structure, microporosity, mesoporosity, macroporosity, carbon support, Ketjen Black, Vulcan XC-72, platinum/carbon catalyst, Nafion ionomer, ionomer loading, platinum deposition, pore size distribution, adsorption isotherms

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