Effect of anode diffusion layer fabricated with mesoporous carbon on the performance of direct dimethyl ether fuel cell

In this study, we present the novel membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for direct dimethyl ether fuel cell (DDFC). The anode gas diffusion layer (AGDL) of the MEA is fabricated with mesoporous carbon to facilitate the anode mass transport and enhance the performance of DDFC. The major differences of mesoporous carbon AGDL (MAGDL) and XC-72 AGDL (XAGDL) are the BET surface, the pore volume, and the pore size distribution. The MAGDL provides many more passageways for mass transport than XAGDL. The MAGDL possesses hydrophilic small and hydrophobic middle pores, which benefit the liquid and gas transport simultaneously. The maximum power density of DDFC increases by 20% when using MAGDL instead of XAGDL at 60 °C. The electrochemical measurements indicate that the promotion of the anode two-phase mass transport is the main reason for the significant improvement of DDFC performance.

► We present a novel AGDL fabricated with mesoporous carbon for DDFC.
► The MAGDL provides more passageways for mass transport than XAGDL.
► The MAGDL benefits gas and liquid transport simultaneously.
► Cell performance is enhanced due to the promotion of the anode mass transport.