Improving Catalytic Activity in the Electrochemical Separation of CO2 Using Membrane Electrode Assemblies

The direct electrochemically driven separation of CO2 from a humidified N2, O2, and CO2 gas mixture was conducted using an asymmetric membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The MEA was fabricated using a screen-printed ionomer bound Pt cathode, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), and ionomer bound IrO2 anode. Electrocatalyst materials were physically and chemically characterized prior to inclusion within the electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) were used to quantify the catalytic activity and determine the effects of the catalyst-to-ionomer ratio. Catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface analysis, and (dynamic light scattering) DLS to evaluate catalyst structure, active surface area, and determine the particle size and bulk particle size distribution (PSD). The electrocatalyst layer of the electrodes were fabricated by screen printing a uniformly dispersed mixture of catalyst, dissolved anionic ionomer, and a solvent system onto an electrode supporting gas diffusion layer (GDL). Pt IrO2 MEAs were fabricated and current-voltage relationships were determined using constant-current measurements over a range of applied current densities and flow rates. Baseline reaction kinetics for CO2 separation were established with a standard set of Pt-IrO2 MEAs.

The Ionic Associate of Metamizole as an Electrode-Active Component of a PVC Plasticized Membrane Electrode

The technology for manufacturing a film membrane of the metamizole-selective electrode containing ion associate metamizole-octadecylammonium ODAH+MT− as an electrode active component (EAC) has been proposed. The main potentiometric characteristics of the metamizole-selective electrode have been determined. The expediency of the proposed design of the metamizole selective electrode for the determination of metamizole in dosage forms has been substantiated. The best composition of the membrane (wt.%) of the metamizole-selective electrode has corresponded to: ODAH+MT−—5.3; 2-nitrophenyloctylether—63.1; poly(vinyl chloride)—31.6. Electrode-active component in the membrane phase functions as an ion associate ODAH+MT−. Potentiometric characteristics of metamizole-selective electrode have been determined, which corresponded to: linear range 1 × 10−2–1 × 10−4 with limit of detection 4.58 × 10−5 M, electrode function slope −48.5 mV/dec., working interval pH 4.5–7.3, response time 60 s. The potentiometric coefficients of selectivity of the metamizole-selective electrode with respect to various ions have been determined. The possibility of determining metamizole in a medicinal product has been tested. The results of the analyses show good agreement between the two methods (relative error less than 7.0%) with coefficients of variation less than 5% for MT-SE and iodometric methods.

Impedance-based Performance Analysis of Micropatterned Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Micropatterns applied to proton exchange membranes can improve the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells; however, the mechanism underlying this improvement is yet to be clarified. In this study, a patterned membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was compared with a flat one using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation time analysis. The micropattern positively affects the oxygen reduction reaction by increasing the reaction area. However, simultaneously, the pattern negatively affects the gas diffusion because it lengthens the average oxygen transport path through the catalyst layer. In addition, the patterned MEA is more vulnerable to flooding, but performs better than the flat MEA in low-humidity conditions. Therefore, the composition, geometry, and operating conditions of the micropatterned MEA should be comprehensively optimized to achieve optimal performance.

Ordered Porous TiO2@C Layer as an Electrocatalyst Support for Improved Stability in PEMFCs

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most promising clean energy source in the 21st century. In order to achieve a high power density, electrocatalytic performance, and electrochemical stability, an ordered array structure membrane electrode is highly desired. In this paper, a new porous Pt-TiO2@C ordered integrated electrode was prepared and applied to the cathode of a PEMFC. The utilization of the TiO2@C support can significantly decrease the loss of catalyst caused by the oxidation of the carbon from the conventional carbon layer due to the strong interaction of TiO2 and C. Furthermore, the thin carbon layer coated on TiO2 provides the rich active sites for the Pt growth, and the ordered support and catalyst structure reduces the mass transport resistance and improves the stability of the electrode. Due to its unique structural characteristics, the ordered porous Pt-TiO2@C array structure shows an excellent catalytic activity and improved Pt utilization. In addition, the as-developed porous ordered structure exhibits superior stability after 3000 cycles of accelerated durability test, which reveals an electrochemical surface area decay of less than 30%, considerably lower than that (i.e., 80%) observed for the commercial Pt/C.

The Effect of Cell Compression and Cathode Pressure on Hydrogen Crossover in PEM Water Electrolysis

Hydrogen crossover poses a crucial issue for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysers in terms of safe operation and efficiency losses, especially at increased hydrogen pressures. Besides the impact of external operating conditions, the structural properties of the materials also influence the mass transport within the cell. In this study, we provide an analysis of the effect of elevated cathode pressures (up to 15 bar) in addition to increased compression of the membrane electrode assembly on hydrogen crossover and the cell performance, using thin Nafion 212 membranes and current densities up to 3.6 A cm-2. It is shown that a higher compression leads to increased mass transport overpotentials, although the overall cell performance is improved due to the decreased ohmic losses. The mass transport limitations also become visible in enhanced anodic hydrogen contents with increasing compression at high current densities. Moreover, increases in cathode pressure are amplifying the compression effect on hydrogen crossover and mass transport losses. The results indicate that the cell voltage should not be the only criterion for optimizing the system design, but that the material design has to be considered for the reduction of hydrogen crossover in PEM water electrolysis.

A Critical Assessment on Functional Attributes and Degradation Mechanism of Membrane Electrode Assembly Components in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are typically a subset of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) that possess benefits such as fuel flexibility, reduction in plant balance, and benign operation. Due to their benefits, DMFCs could play a substantial role in the future, specifically in replacing Li-ion batteries for portable and military applications. However, the critical concern with DMFCs is the degradation and inadequate reliability that affect the overall value chain and can potentially impede the commercialization of DMFCs. As a consequence, a reliability assessment can provide more insight into a DMFC component’s attributes. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the integral component of the DMFC stack. A comprehensive understanding of its functional attributes and degradation mechanism plays a significant role in its commercialization. The methanol crossover through the membrane, carbon monoxide poisoning, high anode polarization by methanol oxidation, and operating parameters such as temperature, humidity, and others are significant contributions to MEA degradation. In addition, inadequate reliability of the MEA impacts the failure mechanism of DMFC, resulting in poor efficiency. Consequently, this paper provides a comprehensive assessment of several factors leading to the MEA degradation mechanism in order to develop a holistic understanding.