Laser scribed proton exchange membranes for enhanced fuel cell performance and stability

作者：Jianuo Chen, Xuekun Lu, Lingtao Wang, Wenjia Du, Hengyi Guo, Max Rimmer, Heng Zhai, Yuhan Liu, Paul R. Shearing, Sarah J. Haigh, Stuart M. Holmes, Thomas S. Miller · 发表于：Nature Communications · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1038/s41467-024-55070-8 · 被引用次数：28 · 研究领域：Fuel Cells and Related Materials、Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion、Advanced battery technologies research

High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) offer solutions to challenges intrinsic to low-temperature PEMFCs, such as complex water management, fuel inflexibility, and thermal integration. However, they are hindered by phosphoric acid (PA) leaching and catalyst migration, which destabilize the critical three-phase interface within the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). This study presents an innovative approach to enhance HT-PEMFC performance through membrane modification using picosecond laser scribing, which optimises the three-phase interface by forming a graphene-like structure that mitigates PA leaching. Our results demonstrate that laser-induced modification of PA-doped membranes, particularly on the cathode side, significantly enhances the performance and durability of HT-PEMFCs, achieving a peak power density of 817.2 mW cm⁻² after accelerated stress testing, representing a notable 58.2% increase compared to untreated membranes. Furthermore, a comprehensive three-dimensional multi-physics model, based on X-ray micro-computed tomography data, was employed to visualise and quantify the impact of this laser treatment on the dynamic electrochemical processes within the MEA. Hence, this work provides both a scalable methodology to stabilise an important future membrane technology, and a clear mechanistic understanding of how this targeted laser modification acts to optimise the three-phase interface of HT-PEMFCs, which can have impact across a wide ar...