Peak utilization of catalyst with ultra-low Pt loaded PEM fuel cell electrodes prepared by the electrospray method

The electrospray technique has been used to develop a methodology to prepare PEMFC electrodes of high performance by depositing catalytic layers with ultra-low Pt loadings – 0.01 mgPt cm−2 – on gas diffusion layers (GDLs) supplied with a carbon microporous layer (CMPL). The catalytic deposits exhibit a fractal structuration and good dispersion of the catalyst as they are grown by the aggregation of catalyst particles with size around 100 nm. Membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs), made with equally loaded electrodes on both sides of the membrane, delivered performances up to roughly 600–700 mW cm−2 that correspond to very high overall platinum utilizations in the interval 30–35 kW gPt−1. This value is about twice the largest Pt-utilization reported up to date for this kind of fuel cells.

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► Catalytic layers with 0.01 mgPt cm−2 loading were generated by electrospray.
► Electrodes with 5 and 25 square centimeter active surface were prepared.
► MEAs made with these electrodes and Nafion membranes were tested in single cells.
► At atmospheric pressure and 40 °C, the MEAs deliver a specific power of 10 kW gPt−1.
► At 3.4 bar gauge pressure and 70 °C, platinum utilization reached 30 kW gPt−1.