Water Uptake of Fuel-Cell Catalyst Layers
Open accessAbstract
Catalyst layers (CLs) in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) facilitate electrochemical reactions and therefore play a critical role in cell performance. Absorption and desorption of water into both the CL ionomer and the CL pore structure are integral aspects of PEMFC water management and performance. In this work, the water uptake from both the vapor and liquid phases is examined experimentally. Specifically, the dynamic water-uptake behavior of the CL ionomer is investigated as a function of relative humidity, temperature, Pt-loading and pretreatment. The water content of the ionomer in the CL, even after pretreatment, is found to be significantly lower than that for the bulk ionomer membrane, yet with similar sorption time constants. Thus, there is probably substantially slower transport into the ionomer which is likely due to its interfacial character. From the liquid phase, measured capillary pressure – saturation relationships show that the CL has an appreciably hydrophilicity that is strongly dependent on the existence of cracks. These findings are critical to the understanding and optimization of water management and transport phenomena within PEMFCs.
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It has been established experimentally that membrane material within the composite structure of the catalyst layer takes up proportionally less water by sorption than in the bulk membrane.
“It has been established experimentally that membrane material within the composite structure of the catalyst layer takes up proportionally less water by sorption than in the bulk membrane [69,70].”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
Studies have suggested that sorbed water uptake of the catalyst layer depends upon Pt loading, choice of carbon support, and the solvent used in catalyst-layer preparation.
“Additionally, studies have suggested that sorbed water uptake of the CL depends upon Pt loading [69], choice of carbon support [38,72], and the solvent used in CL preparation [73].”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
MRI measurements by Teranishi et al. showed a cell water content response towards equilibrium occurring on the order of 100 s after cell startup.
“Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements by Teranishi et al. showed a cell water content response towards equilibrium occurring on the order of 100 s after cell startup, which while much shorter than the above is still a significant duration compared to typical timescales of interest for transient PEMFC phenomena [69,128].”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [69]
Cites
Soboleva, T., Zhao, X., Malek, K., Xie, Z., Navessin, T., & Holdcroft, S. (2010) · ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · doi:10.1021/am900600y · Cited by 424 · see citing works
Absorption, Desorption, and Transport of Water in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Fuel Cells
Ge, S., Li, X., Yi, B., & Hsing, I.-M. (2005) · Journal of The Electrochemical Society · doi:10.1149/1.1899263 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
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Kusoglu, A., & Weber, A. Z. (2017) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00159 · Cited by 2,432 · see citing works
Self-citationFuel Cell Catalyst Layers: A Polymer Science Perspective
Holdcroft, S. (2014) · Chemistry of Materials · doi:10.1021/cm401445h · Cited by 481 · see citing works
Dickinson, E. J. F., & Smith, G. (2020) · Membranes · doi:10.3390/membranes10110310 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Nano-scale control of the ionomer distribution by molecular masking of the Pt surface in PEMFCs
Doo, G., Yuk, S., Lee, J. H., Choi, S., Lee, D.-H., Lee, D. W., Hyun, J., Kwon, S. H., Lee, S. G., & Kim, H.-T. (2020) · Journal of Materials Chemistry A · doi:10.1039/c9ta14002f · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Kim, T.-H., Yoo, J. H., Maiyalagan, T., & Yi, S.-C. (2019) · Applied Surface Science · doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.03.113 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
- Authors
- Kusoglu, A., Kwong, A., Clark, K. T., Gunterman, H. P., & Weber, A. Z.
- Affiliations
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Venue
- Journal of The Electrochemical Society
- Publisher
- The Electrochemical Society
- Published
- 2012
- Volume
- 159
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- F530-F535
- ISSN
- 0013-4651 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7111
- OpenAlex
- W2073579794
- Cited by
- 110
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 4.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Locations
- Journal of The Electrochemical Society (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy (-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, DE-AC02-)
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- 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
- catalyst layer, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, water absorption, ionomers, water sorption, pore structure, relative humidity, temperature effects, platinum loading, pretreatment, water management (fuel cells), hydrophilicity, cracks, water transport
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