The Hydrogen Electrode Reaction in the Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Abstract

The hydrogen electrode in the anion-exchange membrane fuel cell needs further attention to understand the overall cell limitations. In this study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanodynamic measurements in combination with a physics-based model are used to determine the kinetic parameters of the hydrogen oxidation reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction on Pt/C porous gas-diffusion electrodes in an AEMFC. Two semicircles are observed in the Nyquist plot of a symmetrical AEM hydrogen cell, indicating a two‑step reaction pathway. The fit of the model shows that the Tafel-Volmer pathway describes the kinetics better than the Heyrovsky-Volmer pathway. The reaction rates of the adsorption and charge transfer steps are similar in magnitude implying that both need consideration during modeling and evaluation of the hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, the performance is limited also by the ionic conductivity in the electrode. Comparison of the impedance of the HOR and a hydrogen/oxygen AEMFC indicates that the low-frequency semicircle is mainly associated with the oxygen reduction reaction and the cathode, while the high-frequency semicircle is likely related to a combination of the anode and the cathode. Based on this work, a platform for further studies of losses and total impedance of operating AEMFC has been created.