Three-Dimensional Interlocking Interface: Mechanical Nanofastener for High Interfacial Robustness of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Seongmin Yuk; Min-Ju Choo; Dongyoung Lee; Hwanuk Guim; Tae-Ho Kim; Dai Gil Lee; Sungyu Choi; Dong-Hyun Lee; Gisu Doo; Young Taik Hong; Hee-Tak Kim

doi:10.1002/adma.201603056

Three-Dimensional Interlocking Interface: Mechanical Nanofastener for High Interfacial Robustness of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Adv Mater. 2017 Jan;29(2). doi: 10.1002/adma.201603056. Epub 2016 Nov 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
² School of Mechanical Aerospace & Systems Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
³ Division of Electron Microscopic Research, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea.
⁴ Center for Membrane, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea.

PMID: 27862369
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603056

Abstract

A scalable nanofastener featuring a 3D interlocked interfacial structure between the hydrocarbon membrane and perfluorinated sulfonic acid based catalyst layer is presented to overcome the interfacial issue of hydrocarbon membrane based polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. The nanofastener-introduced membrane electrode assembly (MEA) withstands more than 3000 humidity cycles, which is 20 times higher durability than that of MEA without nanofastener.

Keywords: 3D interfaces; fuel cells; humidity cycling durability; hydrocarbon membranes; interfacial bonding strength.