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The influence of patterned microporous layer on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell performances

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Abstract

The ordered membrane electrode assembly (MEA) has gained much attention because of its potential in improving mass transfer. Here, a comprehensive study was conducted on the influence of the patterned microporous layer (MPL) on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell performances. When patterned MPL is employed, grooves are generated between the catalyst layer and the gas diffusion layer. It is found that the grooves do not increase the contact resistance, and it is beneficial for water retention. When the MEA works under low humidity scenarios, the MEA with patterned MPL illustrated higher performance, due to the reduced inner resistance caused by improved water retention, leading to increased ionic conductivity. However, when the humidity is higher than 80% or working under high current density, the generated water accumulated in the grooves and hindered the oxygen mass transport, leading to a reduced MEA performance.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. Z210016).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Lab of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Shunzhong Wang, Wei Zhu & Zhongbin Zhuang

  2. State Power Investment Corporation Hydrogen Energy Company, Ltd., Beijing, 102600, China

    Shunzhong Wang, Wei Chen, Yali Cao, Linan Wang, Zhichang Wang, Lirui Cui & Mingzheng Zhou

  3. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Kadi Hu, Hui Li & Zhongbin Zhuang

  4. Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Environmental Catalysis, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Wei Zhu & Zhongbin Zhuang

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  1. Shunzhong Wang
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  2. Kadi Hu
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  3. Wei Chen
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Correspondence to Hui Li or Zhongbin Zhuang.

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Wang, S., Hu, K., Chen, W. et al. The influence of patterned microporous layer on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell performances. Nano Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6569-5

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