Abstract
Cerium species are added into membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. They act as radical quenchers that suppress the degradation caused by radical species, which are derived from the reaction between impurity and hydrogen peroxide formed during a fuel cell operation. During long-term operation, the radical quencher (i.e., dissolved trivalent cerium ions) moves toward the cathode electrolyte interface, which affects negatively the durability of the fuel cell. Therefore, it is necessary to observe directly the transport phenomena of cerium species under operating conditions of fuel cells. Operando analysis of cerium distribution with through-plane in MEA has been challenging due to the narrow thickness of electrolyte membranes. In this study, we developed a technique for cerium ion mapping with through-plane MEA under typical fuel cell operation using high-energy micro-beam X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The technique was applied in the analysis of the transport phenomena of radical quenchers with through-plane MEA in 2nd-generation MIRAI fuel cells.
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