Interlocking membrane/catalyst layer interface for high mechanical robustness of hydrocarbon-membrane-based polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Keun-Hwan Oh; Hong Suk Kang; Min-Ju Choo; Duk-Hun Jang; Dongyoung Lee; Dai Gil Lee; Tae-Ho Kim; Young Taik Hong; Jung-Ki Park; Hee-Tak Kim

doi:10.1002/adma.201500328

Interlocking membrane/catalyst layer interface for high mechanical robustness of hydrocarbon-membrane-based polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Adv Mater. 2015 May 20;27(19):2974-80. doi: 10.1002/adma.201500328. Epub 2015 Mar 27.

Authors

Keun-Hwan Oh¹, Hong Suk Kang¹, Min-Ju Choo², Duk-Hun Jang², Dongyoung Lee³, Dai Gil Lee³, Tae-Ho Kim⁴, Young Taik Hong⁴, Jung-Ki Park^{1

2}, Hee-Tak Kim²

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
² Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
³ School of Mechanical Aerospace & Systems Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
⁴ Center for Membrane, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea.

PMID: 25821122
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201500328

Abstract

A physical interlocking interface that can tightly bind a sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) membrane and a Nafion catalyst layer in polymer electrolyte fuel cells is demonstrated. Owing to higher expansion with hydration for SPAES than for Nafion, a strong normal force is generated at the interface of a SPAES pillar and a Nafion hole, resulting in an 8-fold increase of the interfacial bonding strength at RH 50% and a 4.7-times increase of the wet/dry cycling durability.

Keywords: hydrocarbon-based membranes; interfacial bonding; interlocking interfaces; micropillar patterns; polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells.