Present and Future Perspectives on Fuel Cell Membrane Chemical Stability
Authors: Yandrasits Michael 
Published: February 2024

Durability is key to the value proposition of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells for transportation applications. Ultimately, fuel cell vehicles need to match the lifetimes of diesel powered trucks, and last longer than lithium batteries, for widespread adoption[1]. The burden of reaching these aggressive targets falls on all components of the system, stack, and membrane electrode assembly. Of these, membrane durability remains an important area of research, in particular the chemical stability of the ionomer. The recognition of the ‘simple unzipping’ of the perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) backbone by hydroxyl radicals (HO·)[2],[3] and the subsequent introduction of cerium radical scavengers[4],[5] mark significant advancements in fuel cell lifetimes. Yet, even with this technology, it is unclear if this class of membranes can meet the 25,000+ hours required for heavy duty applications without additional improvements. Furthermore, recent proposals to restrict usage of fluorochemicals in many applications[6] presents a risk to the rapidly growing PEM fuel cell and water electrolysis markets. This talk will outline recent work that looks beyond simple peroxide degradation of PFSA ionomers and highlight the role of other reaction mechanisms suspected in accelerated fuel cell durability testing. Analysis of effluent water for ionomer fragments during these tests provides a greater understanding of the degradation mechanisms and suggests additional pathways beyond back-bone unzipping. Not only are these fragments useful in inferring reaction mechanisms, but there is also evidence they adsorb to the platinum surface, ultimately adding to performance decay. In other words, increased membrane durability may also result in increased catalyst stability. Finally, chemical stability of hydrocarbon membranes will be considered in light of the advances over the last two decades in understanding PFSA stability. Similarities and differences will be discussed between these two classes of PEM membrane with suggestions on how the techniques used to understand PFSA stability could be applied to hydrocarbon ionomers and advance the understanding of chemical stability in these systems.

[1] Cullen, D. A.; Neyerlin, K. C.; Ahluwalia, R. K.; Mukundan, R.; More, K. L.; Borup, R. L.; Weber, A. Z.; Myers, D. J.; Kusoglu, A. New Roads and Challenges for Fuel Cells in Heavy-Duty Transportation. Nat Energy
2021, 6 (5), 462–474. .

[2] Curtin, D. E.; Lousenberg, R. D.; Henry, T. J.; Tangeman, P. C.; Tisack, M. E. Advanced Materials for Improved PEMFC Performance and Life. Journal of Power Sources
2004, 131 (1), 41–48.

[3] Coms, F. D. The Chemistry of Fuel Cell Membrane Chemical Degradation. ECS Trans.
2008, 16 (2), 235.

[4] Frey, M. H., Pierpont, D. M., Hamrock, S. J., US 8,367,267 and US 9,431,670

[5] Coms, F. D.; Liu, H.; Owejan, J. E. Mitigation of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Chemical Degradation Using Cerium and Manganese Ions. ECS Trans.
2008, 16 (2), 1735.

[6] European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposal submitted 7th February 2023