Effect of gas diffusion electrode parameters on anion exchange membrane fuel cell performance

Focused on the optimization of the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) in an alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AAEMFC), PTFE content and catalyst loading in the catalyst layer (CL) were found to have a substantial effect on the cell performance and electrochemical kinetics. The i-V curves, open circuit voltage, cell resistance, in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and kinetics analysis have been used to evaluate the electrochemical properties of the fabricated GDEs. The results reveal that the optimum PTFE content in the CL of AAEMFC is 20%. Pt loading ranged from 0.2–1.0 mg/cm2 was also investigated as a vital parameter for three-phase boundary, CL conductivity and catalyst utilization. Ultimately, the highest peak power density of 213 mW/cm2 was achieved at 50 °C from the prepared GDE with Pt loading of 1.0 mg/cm2 on Pt/C and 20% PTFE in CL of AAEMFC. Considering the Pt-based catalyst effective utilization and cost, however, the platinum requirement can be diminished to close to 0.5 mg/cm2 in CLwithout significant performance loss.

Graphical AbstractThe performance of the prepared gas diffusion electrode in an anion exchange membrane fuel cell has been significantly improved using an optimized PTFE content and Pt loading in the Pt-based catalyst layer.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide