In-Situ Analysis of Electrodes Using Fine-Tuned Poly(Terphenyl Piperidinium) Ionomers in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Novalin Timon , Pan Dong , Nikolic Nikola , Eriksson Björn , Lagergren Carina , Lindbergh Göran , Jannasch Patric , Lindstrom Rakel 
Published: February 2024

In the field of low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells, anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have been considered a promising alternative by circumventing the obstacles to commercialization faced by the established PEMFC technology. The application of platinum group metal-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, the potential to utilize cheaper and more sustainable polymers than the industry benchmark Nafion®, and the generally less corrosive alkaline operation conditions, have all been identified as inherent advantages of the AEMFC technology, potentially enabling more cost-effective and environmental-friendly mass production of AEMFC system.

The first major challenge in developing AEMFC systems was the lack of stable and conductive anion exchange polymers to be used as membrane and ionomer materials. This challenge was at least partly overcome by the successful development of a variety of next-generation polymers. Among those, poly(arylene piperidinium) show great potential through the combination an ether-free aromatic backbone for increased mechanical stability with a piperidinium-based cationic groups displaying excellent resistance to hydroxide attack in highly alkaline environment [1]. Furthermore, the crucial parameters ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake and dimensional swelling can be finely controlled via copolymerization and partial substitution of the cationic functional group in the repeating unit [2].

In a previous study using a series of poly(terphenyl piperidinium) membranes with different IECs, we established the importance of these three parameters, in particular for the ionomer used in the catalyst layer of the electrode [3]. Furthermore, it was established that water balance of AEMFC systems proved to be one of the greatest challenges in reaching and maintaining high cell performance. The asymmetrical nature of the simultaneous electrochemical production and consumption of water at the anode and cathode, respectively, necessitates fine-tuning the ionomer properties, as well as selecting operational parameters for each electrode individually in order to strike an optimal water balance [4].

In this study, we expand on our previous work by analyzing a matrix of electrode combination based on three poly(terphenyl piperidinium)ionomers with different IEC values. Furthermore, we complemented our analysis by evaluating the effects of substituting a fraction of regular dissolvable ionomer with insoluble non-conformal particles of cross-linked poly(terphenyl piperidinium). The beneficial effects of insoluble non-conformal ionomer particles in the catalyst layer has been previously shown by Varcoe and coworkers utilizing radion-grafted anion exchange membranes [5], and by Holdcroft and coworkers utilizing phenylated poly(phenylene) ionomers for PEMFCs [6].

Different electrode combinations were evaluated while varying operational parameters such as gas flow rates, gas relative humidities and back pressure. The recording of observed cell performances were complemented by in-situ analysis of in-let/out-let gas relative humidities, H2/O2 electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for kinetic analysis and information on ohmic losses, H2/Ar electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to measure ionic conductivity, cyclic voltammetry to measure electrochemically active surface area as well as ex-situ characterization of the electrodes before/after the test run.

The study was carried out with the aim to establish a correlation between the properties of individually tuned ionomers and operational parameters, and to investigate reasons for performance losses due to mass transport limitations, drop in ionomer conductivity, loss of active area, and decreased kinetics caused by phenyl adsorption.

Finally, we demonstrate how the application of individually optimized electrodes using fine-tuned poly(terphenyl piperidinium) based ionomers in conjunction with suitable operating conditions will lead to a drastic increase in fuel cell performance compared to symmetrical non-optimized electrodes.

A selection of experimental data is shown in Figure 1.

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[3] T. Novalin, D. Pan, G. Lindbergh, C. Lagergren, P. Jannasch, R.W. Lindström, Electrochemical performance of poly(arylene piperidinium) membranes and ionomers in anion exchange membrane fuel cells, J. Power Sources, 2021, 507, 230287.

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[6] E. Balogun, S. Cassegrain, P. Mardle, M. Adamski, T. Saatkamp, and S. Holdcroft, ACS Energy Lett. 2022, 7, 2070-2078.

Figure 1