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Updated: Sep 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Design and Evaluation of Au-Electroplated Carbon Fiber Cloth Electrodes for Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cells
Published on: October 20, 2023
Fuel cell performance improvement via the steric effect of a hydrocarbon-based binder for cathode in proton exchange
Jung-Eun Cha1,2, Won Jae Cho3, Jeemin Hwang1
1Hydrogen Energy Research Division, Fuel Cell Research & Demonstration Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), 20-41 Sinjaesaengeneogi-ro, Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 56332, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
In this study, a sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) having cardo-type fluorenyl groups (FL-SPES) was investigated as a cathodic binder to improve fuel cell performance via increased the oxygen diffusion in the cathode. The maximum power density achieved by using the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared with FL-SPES with a low ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 1.31 meq g-1 was 520 mW cm-2, which is more than twice as high as that of BP-SPES (210 mW cm-2) having typical biphenyl groups with a similar IEC. At high IEC of 1.55 meq g-1, the power density obtained by using BP-SPES was improved to 454 mW cm-2 but remained lower than that of FL-SPES. In addition, although the IEC, swelling degree, and specific resistance were similar to each other, the gas permeability of FL-SPES was improved by approximately three times compared to that of BP-SPES. The steric structure of cardo-type FL-SPES increased the free volume between the polymer backbones, leading to an increase in gas transfer. Consequently, oxygen diffusion was promoted at the cathode, resulting in improved fuel cell performance.
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