Preparation and Characterization of Nanofiber Catalyst Layer for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

In this study, a nanofiber catalyst layer with high performance at low platinum loading was successfully prepared by electrospinning, and its structure and function were characterized by physical and electrochemical methods. The operating characteristics of the nanofiber catalyst layer under different temperature and humidity were determined. Under the same platinum loading conditions, the specific surface area of the nanofiber catalyst layer is 1.4 times that of the traditional catalyst layer, and the performance is also better. On the one hand, the nanofiber has a larger specific surface area, which provides more reactive sites for the catalyst layer; on the other hand, because the nanofiber catalyst layer has more pore structures, which is beneficial to the timely removal of water produced by the cathode And gas diffusion, thereby reducing the material transmission loss of the fuel cell at high current density. After adding hydrophilic SiO 2 , the contact angle of the electrospinning catalyst layer is smaller than that of the electrosprayed catalyst layer, so it has certain self-humidification ability.