Fabrication of Cathode Catalyst Layer By Use of Multi-Nozzle Electrospray Method on Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Abstract

We have been researching manufacturing methods of catalyst layers in order to improve the effective utilization rate of Pt in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. In our previous research1-3, we demonstrated experimentally that an electrospray (ES) method was able to make great progress in the interface formation between the electrolyte polymer ionomer and the Pt supported on carbon1,3 or conductive ceramics2, and that the immediate drying of the catalyst layer ink also greatly contributes to the improvement of Pt effectiveness. Since the ink droplets had already dried when these were deposited on the membrane, we proposed that the ink drying process can be reduced and that the cost of producing the catalyst layer is also greatly reduced. However, since the amount of catalyst applied is very small with a single nozzle, we also proposed that a multi-nozzle system is indispensable in order to adapt to the actual catalyst layer formation process.Therefore, we are jointly developing the ES manufacturing system with a multi-nozzle device (Fig. 1a) in a collaboration between the University of Yamanashi and Meiko Co., Ltd. We developed the first prototype machine, MES-Lab.α, for R & D, which features options such as nozzle material, multi-nozzle structure, coating treatment of nozzle tip, nozzle fixing adhesive, suck-back method, and ink energization method, among others. We have completed a new design for a basic 72-nozzle block (Fig. 1b), which incorporates all of the above new materials and new structures and is compatible with the production of industry-standard electrodes (5 cm x 5 cm).The performance of the PEFC cell using the cathode catalyst layer produced by this ES device was superior to that of a cell using the conventional pulse-swirl-spray device (PSS). We prepared the catalyst layer according to two different ionization methods (positive (ESP), and negative (ESN) ionization), and compared these with that prepared by the PSS method.3 The catalyst layers prepared by ESN successfully mitigated oxygen transport resistance. The highest porosity, which induced better water management, revealed superior performance at high current. Moreover, we confirmed the importance of the proton conduction in the catalyst layer through the ionomer contents. Thinly coated ionomer film on the catalyst surface revealed that lower resistance originates from the ionomer film on the Pt surface, RCL, film , but poor σ H+cath. , as evaluated for low contents of ionomer in the catalyst layer. These results also suggest that we will be able to achieve superior actual cell performance for catalyst layers prepared via ES using modified ionomer chemical structures, for which there is enhanced H+ conductivity, σ H+cath. , via, e.g., increased ion exchange capacity, and oxygen permeability3 (Fig. 2). Acknowledgement This work was partially supported by funds for the “Superlative, stable, and scalable performance fuel cell” (SPer-FC) and the “Electrolytes, catalysts and catalyst layers with extraordinary efficiency, power and durability for PEFCs to 2030” (ECCEED’30-FC) projects from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the “Yamanashi Frontier for Innovation and Ecosystem” (FCyFINE) project from the Regional Innovation Ecosystems Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). References Takahashi, K. Kakinuma, and M. Uchida, J. Electrochem. Soc., 163, F1182-F1188 (2016).Takahashi, R. Koda, K. Kakinuma, and M. Uchida, J. Electrochem. Soc., 164, F235-F242 (2017).Cho, K. Tamoto, and M. Uchida, Energy Fuels, 34, 14853−14863 (2020). Figure 1