Polydimethylsiloxane treated cathode catalyst layer to prolong hydrogen fuel cell lifetime

Abstract

In operation of hydrogen fuel cells for vehicle, carbon corrosion induced by frequent on/off operation significantly causes degradation of performance and durability of fuel cells, aggregating and losing Pt particles. It is critical to develop durable cathode and understand the mechanism of degradation in hydrogen fuel cells for commercialization. In this study, we prepared polydimethylsiloxane treated cathode, which is hydrophobic, for improving durability in hydrogen fuel cells. In addition, effect of hydrophobic cathode on durability was investigated by various analyses. We observed that the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treated cathode contributed to limit both mass transfer limitation and carbon corrosion by efficient water withdrawal. Based on our results, we provide the possibility of PDMS treatment to decline the performance degradation in fuel cells. © 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.