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Durable and self-hydrating tungsten carbide-based composite polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
Weiqing Zheng1, Liang Wang2, Fei Deng3
1Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation and Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, USA.
Nature Communications
|September 6, 2017
Summary
Adding transition metal carbide nanoparticles to Nafion membranes significantly boosts fuel cell power and durability. These nanoparticles protect the membrane by capturing harmful radicals, improving overall performance and longevity.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Proton conductivity in polymer electrolyte membranes is crucial for fuel cell performance.
- Effective water management is essential for maintaining membrane function.
- Nafion membranes are widely used but face challenges in durability and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable method for producing transition metal carbide nanoparticles.
- To investigate the effect of these nanoparticles as additives in Nafion membranes for fuel cell applications.
- To understand the mechanism behind enhanced membrane durability.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of well-dispersed transition metal carbide nanoparticles.
- Incorporation of nanoparticles into Nafion membranes.
- Fuel cell performance testing (power density, durability over 100 hours).
- Microscopy (Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscope tomography) for degradation analysis.
- Computational modeling (Density Functional Theory) for radical interaction studies.
Main Results:
- Transition metal carbide nanoparticles significantly enhance power density and durability of Nafion membranes.
- Performance surpasses both baseline Nafion and platinum-containing recast Nafion membranes.
- Microscopy revealed key membrane degradation mechanisms.
- DFT calculations showed stronger radical adsorption and less favorable radical-producing reactions on tungsten carbide compared to platinum.
Conclusions:
- Tungsten carbide nanoparticles show promise as fuel cell membrane additives.
- They enhance durability by capturing and retarding harmful radicals at the cathode.
- This approach offers a pathway to more robust and efficient proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
