Thin film surface modifications of thin/tunable liquid/gas diffusion layers for high-efficiency proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells

Zhenye Kang, Jingke Mo, Gaoqiang Yang, Yifan Li, Derrick A. Talley, Scott T. Retterer, David A. Cullen, Todd J. Toops, Michael P. Brady, Guido Bender, Bryan S. Pivovar, Johney B. Green and Feng-Yuan Zhang

Applied Energy, 2017, vol. 206, issue C, 983-990

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC) is one of the most promising devices for high-efficiency and low-cost energy storage and ultrahigh purity hydrogen production. As one of the critical components in PEMECs, the titanium thin/tunable LGDL (TT-LGDL) with its advantages of small thickness, planar surface, straight-through pores, and well-controlled pore morphologies, achieved superior multifunctional performance for hydrogen and oxygen production from water splitting even at low temperature. Different thin film surface treatments on the novel TT-LGDLs for enhancing the interfacial contacts and PEMEC performance were investigated both in-situ and ex-situ for the first time. Surface modified TT-LGDLs with about 180nm thick Au thin film yielded performance improvement (voltage reduction), from 1.6849V with untreated TT-LGDLs to only 1.6328V with treated TT-LGDLs at 2.0A/cm2 and 80°C. Furthermore, the hydrogen/oxygen production rate was increased by about 28.2% at 1.60V and 80°C. The durability test demonstrated that the surface treated TT-LGDL has good stability as well. The gold electroplating surface treatment is a promising method for the PEMEC performance enhancement and titanium material protection even in harsh environment.

Keywords: Liquid/gas diffusion layers; Surface treatment; Proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells; Electroplating; Water splitting; Hydrogen/oxygen production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.09.004

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