Electrospray-assisted fabrication of porous platinum-carbon composite thin layers for enhancing the electrochemical performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been fabricated using electrospray-assisted deposition of platinum-carbon composites on carbon-fiber-based paper substrate, because the technique is versatile, operated in atmospheric pressure, and easy to scale up for commercialization. In this study, we investigate the effects of electrospray-assisted platinum loadings from 0.1 to 0.5 mg cm−2 on the electrochemical performance of PEMFCs. The PEMFCs with platinum loading of 0.3 mg cm−2 generate the highest power density, which is ∼35% higher than that of PEMFCs fabricated by traditional brush-deposited catalyst layers. Relatively high platinum loading (>0.3 mg cm−2) enhances the pressure drop in MEA; therefore, the resulting power density is decreased due to low-reacting gas permeability. We also examine the effect of porous structures on the electrochemical performance of PEMFCs. Brij 58-based surfactant templates create micro- and nano-porous structures in the platinum-carbon composite thin layers via thermal removal. These porous structures in the platinum-carbon composite thin layers increase the reacting gas permeability and simultaneously lower the cell resistance, significantly enhancing the electrochemical performance of PEMFCs with porous structures.