Abstract
Several experimental techniques have been used to characterize the properties of ionomer in PFEC catalyst layers (CLs). NMR methods have been applied to determine the water motions at long-range (diffusion) and short-range (relaxation) in CLs. Our preliminary results suggest that the water diffusion in the ionomer phase is affected by the amount of catalyst particles (Pt/C) present in CLs. To further assess the factor(s) that might influence water diffusion in CLs, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has been conducted to investigate the dispersion of ionomer and catalyst particles in CLs. The composition effect on the CL structure will be discussed. In addition, thermal properties of CLs have been studied by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) in an attempt to reveal polymer-Pt/C interactions. When compared with the thermal behavior of bulk Nafion (Nafion-112), additional features are observed in the MDSC 'kinetic' component during heating process. The nature of this feature is currently under investigation.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call