Abstract
•A novel cathode with dual CL structure was designed for HT-PEMFC.•Efficient Pt utilization was achieved by the novel design of outer CL.•Improved mass transport was obtained by the proper composition of inner CL.•An enhanced performance of dual CL structured cathode was obtained.•Proper thickness of CL is essential for improving the electrode performance.
High cost is a main barrier of commercialization for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). Thus, enhancing the efficiency of platinum (Pt) utilization and improving the performance of HT-PEMFC is expected to promote its commercialization.
A novel cathode with dual catalyst layer (DCL) structure is designed for enhancing the performance of HT-PEMFC. The catalyst is mainly distributed in outer CL (next to membrane) to concentrate Pt, while a small amount of catalyst is used in inner CL (close to gas diffusion layer). High-Pt-content catalysts (40, 50 wt% Pt/C) and low-Pt-content catalysts (10, 20 wt% Pt/C) are utilized in outer and inner CLs, respectively, to maintain the same thicknesses of two CLs.
2/4-DCL gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with an outer CL consists of 40 wt% Pt/C and an inner CL consists of 20 wt% Pt/C shows the highest performance among prepared DCL structured GDEs, which also shows a significantly higher performance than the conventional single CL structured GDEs due to the novel structure of DCL. Finally, a good durability of 2/4-DCL GDE indicates the feasibility in practical HT-PEMFC.
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