Durable corrosion-resistant coating based in graphene oxide for cost-effective fuel cells components

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Conversion

Background:

• Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are crucial for clean energy, but high production costs hinder widespread adoption.
• Current collectors, often integrated as flow field plates, significantly contribute to PEMFC weight and cost.
• Developing cost-effective and lightweight materials is essential for advancing fuel cell technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a cost-effective alternative for current collectors in PEMFCs.
• To address the challenge of protecting copper substrates from corrosion in aggressive fuel cell environments.
• To evaluate the performance of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coating on copper collectors.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a continuous reduced graphene oxide coating on a copper substrate.
• Implementation of the coated copper collectors in a real proton exchange membrane fuel cell.
• Conducting accelerated stress tests to evaluate corrosion protection and performance under operational conditions.

Main Results:

• The reduced graphene oxide coating effectively protected the copper substrate from corrosion during fuel cell operation.
• The cost-effective copper collectors with rGO coating demonstrated performance comparable to traditional gold-plated nickel collectors.
• The developed system offers a significant reduction in both production costs and overall system weight.

Conclusions:

• A novel, cost-effective reduced graphene oxide coated copper current collector presents a viable solution for PEMFCs.
• This approach significantly reduces manufacturing expenses and system weight, promoting the commercialization of fuel cell technology.
• The findings suggest a promising pathway for developing more sustainable and economical energy conversion systems.