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Aliyah K, Appel C, Lazaridis T, Prehal C, Ammann M, Xu L, Guizar-Sicairos M, Gubler L, Büchi FN, Eller J. Operando Scanning Small-/Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: Investigation of Catalyst Layer Saturation and Membrane Hydration- Capabilities and Challenges. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:25938-25952. [PMID: 38740377 PMCID: PMC11129111 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells are an essential technology for future local emission-free mobility. One of the critical challenges for thriving commercialization is water management in the cells. We propose small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering as a suitable diagnostic tool to quantify the liquid saturation in the catalyst layer and determine the hydration of the ion-conducting membrane in real operating conditions. The challenges that may occur in operando data collection are described in detail─separation of the anode and cathode, cell alignment to the beam, X-ray radiation damage, and the possibility of membrane swelling. A synergistic development of experimental setup, data acquisition, and data interpretation circumvents the major challenges and leads to practical and reliable insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinanti Aliyah
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Christian Appel
- Photon
Science Division, Swiss Light Source, Paul
Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Timon Lazaridis
- Chair
of Technical Electrochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Catalysis
Research Center, Technical University of
Munich, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Christian Prehal
- Department
of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Ammann
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Linfeng Xu
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Guizar-Sicairos
- Photon
Science Division, Swiss Light Source, Paul
Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
- Institute
of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Gubler
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Felix N. Büchi
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Jens Eller
- Electrochemistry
Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
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