bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In-Situ X-Ray Scattering Study of Iridium Oxide Catalyst for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolyzer during Ink Sonication and Drying Process
Authors: Park Jaehyung , Kariuki Nancy N. , Myers Deborah J. 
Published: November 2022

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) offer greenhouse gas emission-free hydrogen production for fuel cell vehicles and other industrial uses when using renewable energy sources [1]. Unsupported iridium oxide (IrO2) is the most active stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst utilized in the anode of the PEMWE [2]. The atomic and microstructure of IrO2 catalysts and electrodes and interactions between and ionomer and catalyst can affect the ultimate performance of the PEMWE anode. These properties and phenomena may be controlled by the interactions of the ionomer in the catalyst-ionomer ink, by the effect of ink solvent composition on those interactions, and by the ink mixing and coating procedures. The microstructure evolution of the IrO2 catalyst during ink processing has not yet been identified. This presentation will describe relationships between ink formulation, electrode morphology, and performance for the IrO2-based PEMWE anodes. Moreover, the results of the evolution of the catalyst layer during the ink drying process as a function of solvent removal rate and solvent identity will be discussed. This study uses the in-situ technique of ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) combined with small angle X-ray scattering to determine particle size distributions and the extent of IrO2 agglomeration in the inks and electrodes during the ink mixing/settling and drying processing. The effects of ionomer concentration, catalyst concentration, and solvent composition on the microstructure of the catalyst inks and electrode are correlated with the PEMWE performance and operando diagnostic data.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office under the H2NEW Consortium. This work was authored in Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science laboratory operated for DOE by UChicago Argonne, LLC under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This research used the resources of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

References

[1] M. Carmo, D. L. Fritz, J. Mergel, D. Stolten, A Comprehensive Review on PEM Water Electrolysis, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2013, 38, 4901−4934.
[2] H. Yu, N. Danilovic, Y. Wang, W. Willis, A. Poozhikunnath, L. Bonville, C. Capuano, K. Ayers, R. Maric, Nano-size IrOx catalyst of high activity and stability in PEM water electrolyzer with ultra-low iridium loading, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2018, 239, 133-146.
(Digital Presentation) Validation of Python-Based Automated Analysis Approach for Processing STEM/EDS Maps of Catalyst Samples in AEMFCs – a Comparative Study
Authors: Batool Mariah , O. Godoy Andres , Birnbach Martin , Dekel Dario R. , Jankovic Jasna 
Published: November 2022

Technological innovations in the field of materials science are often connected to the nanometric scale material evaluation which requires utilizing a combination of advanced characterization techniques. The extensive data acquired from these characterization techniques necessitates meticulous and efficient analysis, which can only be accomplished by automated digital image and data processing techniques. The development of such techniques will aid further advancements in the design of functional materials. In this work, we report a novel automatic analysis approach using data acquired by the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the component distribution and microstructure descriptors for an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The current research aims to validate the automated approach by comparison to a manual image processing method based on ImageJ reported in a previous study [1]. STEM and EDS data for three different Pd/CeOx-based catalyst samples with varying bulk atomic fractions of Ce/Pd were collected and analyzed. The STEM/EDS data was used to investigate how the interfacial contact area and agglomerate size distributions of Pd and Ce can be related to the microstructural-level interactions and processes and potentially affect the electrochemical performance of an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The comparison highlighted the strengths and limitations of both automated and manual approaches and offered substantial justification to predict how excessive Ce agglomeration can be linked to a reduction in the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell.
[1] R. K. Singh et al., “Synthesis of CeOx-Decorated Pd/C Catalysts by Controlled Surface Reactions for Hydrogen Oxidation in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells,” Adv. Funct. Mater., vol. 30, no. 38, 2020, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202002087.
Quantitative Analysis of Fuel Cell Cathode Catalyst Layer Degradation Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy
Authors: Coats Matthew , Medina Samantha , Braaton Jonathan , Cheng Lei , Craig Nathan , Johnston Christina , Pylypenko Svitlana 
Published: November 2022

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a central technology for the electrification of the heavy-duty automotive fleet, ultimately enabling reduced carbon emissions. However, improvements in lifetime and cost are necessary before mass adoption of PEMFC vehicles is achieved. Significant research into analyzing and mitigating degradation of catalyst layers (CLs) is ongoing and this work highlights a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) approach aimed at quantifying electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) loss through the thickness of CLs resulting from electrochemical-applied, catalyst-specific accelerated stress tests or ASTs.
Several mechanisms contribute to degradation of the catalysts in PEMFCs, including Ostwald ripening, coalescence, and formation of a Pt band within the membrane, which result in decreased active surface area throughout the CL. TEM has often been used in conjunction with electrochemical testing to infer changes in the catalyst nanoparticle size, distribution, and changes to the support materials within the catalyst layer (CL) to investigate catalyst. Typically, high-magnification TEM with high-resolution are used to infer localized changes within the CL by examining shape and size to provide information concerning the degradation mechanism. Low-magnification TEM is typically used to observe changes in the support, ionomer, and catalyst distribution. Here we use a quantitative approach to show elemental differences within the CL by using scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy maps (STEM/EDS) for a given MEA that underwent catalyst-specific ASTs. This approach uses the fluorine to platinum ratio (F/Pt) from a fresh sample as a benchmark to track loss of Pt through the thickness of the CL of aged samples. This information can then be used to compare differences in various locations on the MEA in relationship to gas inlets and outlets as well as changes induced by different stressors during the catalyst ASTs. This analysis complements studies using bulk techniques, such as electrochemical ECSA via cyclic voltammetry and micro-X-ray diffraction (µ-XRD), to confirm trends in CL degradation.
Automating Correlative Electron Microscopy for Heavy Duty Fuel Cell Development
Authors: Cullen David A. , Yu Haoran , Zachman Michael J. , Park Jaehyung , Kariuki Nancy N. , Hu Leiming , Mukundan Rangachary , Neyerlin K.C. , Myers Deborah J. 
Published: November 2022

The efficiency and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells has come to the forefront of research and development efforts as sustainable transportation applications shift from passenger to heavy duty vehicles. Complementary research expertise and advanced instrumentation are required to accelerate materials discovery and degradation mitigation of fuel cell components, with significant attention on catalysts, ionomers and membranes. The scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is among the key characterization techniques for accelerating materials and device development, providing key insights into atomic scale structure. Automating STEM data acquisition and analysis enables large data sets with improved statistical relevance and throughput will expand the impact of this method in the rapid materials and accelerated stress test development.
We will show how the latest instrument developments in automation and high speed detectors enable new insights into catalyst structure and electrode layer degradation. This includes correlative, multimodal STEM techniques, such as aberration-corrected imaging, secondary electron detection, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, cryogenic microscopy and 4D-STEM, to build a more comprehensive view of the effect of particle size and composition on surface strain and durability. These results will be correlated with information obtained from X-ray scattering techniques and fuel cell performance testing to understand the type and degree of degradation occurring during accelerated stress tests under development for heavy duty applications. The prospect of automated electron tomography coupled with identical location (IL)-STEM to provide detailed three-dimensional information on catalyst-support interactions will also be discussed.
This material is based on work performed by the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) Consortium, technology managers Greg Kleen and Dimitrios Papageorgopoulus, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. Electron microscopy research was supported by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is a US Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The X-ray scattering experiments were performed at beamline 9-ID-C at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Use of the APS, an Office of Science user facility operated by ANL, is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AS02-06CH11357
Biomimetic Microchannels for the Passive Management of Water in PEM Fuel Cells
Authors: Chadwick Eric Alexander , Shrestha Pranay , Parmar Harsharaj Birendrasingh , Bazylak Aimy , Schulz Volker 
Published: November 2022

In polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, the bipolar plates (BPPs) are responsible for the transport of reactants (via embedded flow fields), heat, and electrons, and account for 18-28% of the cost of fuel cell systems1. Thus, there is a great opportunity to improve the energy density of PEM fuel cells by improving the functions of BPPs, such as providing liquid water management, which affects reactant delivery and heat distribution. Previous work has shown that mass transport losses due to liquid water accumulation under the lands and channels of PEM fuel cell flow fields limit the power density of fuel cells2. Previous work has demonstrated that water will preferentially flow in a desired direction by implementing biomimetic wicking structures3; however, such wicking structures have not been previously implemented into a fuel cell. Furthermore, the design of BPPs has not been tailored to target areas of water accumulation.
In this work, biomimetic geometries that promote passive unidirectional water wicking were implemented in a PEM fuel cell flow field to enhance liquid water removal and the distribution of reactant gases. The BPPs were characterized via constant current electrochemical testing and electrochemical impendence spectroscopy (EIS) to elucidate the dominant losses observed during operation. Operando synchrotron X-ray radiography was performed during the electrochemical testing in order to quantify the liquid water accumulation on the cathode side of the PEM fuel cell. The spatial distribution of liquid water was combined with EIS characterizations to explain the performance of the designs at high current densities, where mass transport losses typically dominate. The results from this work can be used to further optimize the design of PEM fuel cell bipolar plates in order to produce more efficient fuel cell stacks and drive PEM fuel cells into the global energy market.

References

Y. Wang, D. F. Ruiz Diaz, K. S. Chen, Z. Wang, and X. C. Adroher, Materials Today, 32, 178–203 (2020).

N. Ge et al., Electrochimica Acta, 328, 135001 (2019).

J. Feng and J. P. Rothstein, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 404, 169–178 (2013).
(Invited) Sustainable Platinum Group Metal (PGM) Recycling of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzer Cells (PEMFCs & ECs) As a Vital Step Towards Truly Renewable and Green Energy Conversion Technologies
Authors: Andersen Shuang Ma , Sharma Raghunandan , Larsen Lars Christian , Larsen Mikkel Juul Juul , Grahl-Madsen Laila 
Published: November 2022

Owing to their strong catalytic nature and high robustness under various conditions, platinum group metals (PGMs) are state-of-the-art electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzer cells (PEMFCs & ECs) of superior performance and long stability. However, PGM supplies involving limited natural reserves, energy intensive mining process and related environment issues raise increasing concerns. As an indispensable (though insufficiently developed) aspect of the PEM technologies, sustainable PGM recovery and reuse can fundamentally tackle those concerns and serve as a strong support to further secure widespread commercialization of the technologies.
Due to the popular use of perfluorinated sulfonic acid as proton conduction component, PGMs in PEMFCs&ECs are not suitable for recycling through the traditional pyrometallurgical route, which operates at a temperature over 1500°C. Burning of the electrodes releases huge amount of emission, which is not only harmful to the environment and human, but also corrosive to the process infrastructure.
An alternative PGM recycling process using a hydro-electrochemical route1, 2 reveals many advantages, including high extraction efficiency, environmental friendliness, recovery of multiple components, low demand for operation conditions & maintenance, etc. Adopting the intrinsic degradation mechanisms of the PGM nanoparticles in combination with surface potential modulation, dissolution behavior of typical PEMFC&EC electrocatalysts have been systematically investigated. Under optimal parameters, a recovery efficiency of over 99% was successfully achieved for platinum electrocatalyst. Moreover, new catalysts prepared from the recycled precursor demonstrated competitiveness to that of commercial equivalents.
In project 3R, as a joint effort of fuel cell industries, recycling companies and academics supported by Danish Energy Agency, the achievements document a valuable milestone towards truly renewable and green energy conversion technologies.
Acknowledgment
Financial support from Danish Energy Agency EUDP project 3R, Nr. 64019-0551; Innovation Fund Denmark, InnoExplorer program, Nr. 9122-00112; Danish ESS lighthouse on hard materials in 3D, SOLID, Grant number 8144-00002B; Energi Fyns Udviklingsfond.
Corresponding author
Shuang Ma Andersen: mashu@igt.sdu.dk
Reference

Sharma, R.; Gyergyek, S.; Andersen, S. M. ChemSusChem
2018, 11, (21), 3742-3750.

Sharma, R.; Rode Nielsen, K.; Brilner Lund, P.; Bredmose Simonsen, S.; Grahl-Madsen, L.; Ma Andersen, S. ChemElectroChem
2019, 6, (17), 4471-4482.
Influence of Operating Parametres on PEM Based Ecmr for Hydrogen Production in Pressurised Condition
Authors: Vinnakota SRI Harsha Sri Harsha , Balaji R , Brindha A.S , Neelakantan Lakshman , Ramya Krishnan 
Published: November 2022

Hydrogen has the potential to promote the development of new, innovative and environmentally friendly solutions for future demands which would help for the smooth energy transition from fossil fuels. Though hydrogen has a high potential to replace fossil fuels, the challenges associated with the hydrogen value chain are in the production, storage, transportation and distribution stages.
Electrolysis of water in PEM based system is a single step green hydrogen production process while integrated with renewable energy resources. However, this energy-intensive process makes the hydrogen production cost high and it is pave way for adopting the grey hydrogen or blue hydrogen production route as an intermediate stage for the transition from fossil fuel to hydrogen fuel economy. In this context PEM based Electrochemical Methanol Reformer (ECMR) technology has unique advantages such as low electrical energy consumption than water electrolysis and it can be easily integrated with renewable energy sources. Further, it can be operated at near ambient temperature and doesn’t require any hydrogen purification system, unlike a chemical reformer. Currently, PEM based water electrolyzer is producing pressurized hydrogen, which will eliminate the need for an external hydrogen compressor for its storage. Further, the influence of operating parameters on the operation of PEM water electrolyser under pressurised conditions is studied in the literature. However, this aspect of the study is not well studied and not much literature is available on PEM based ECMR systems. The present work, it is aimed to systematically study the effect of various operating parameters on the performance of ECMR under pressurised operation conditions and the obtained results are discussed. It shows the operation of ECMR under pressurised condition are promising and it will eliminate the need for an external H2 compressor system for hydrogen storage like PEM based water electrolyzer.

Keywords: Hydrogen, PEM based Electrochemical reformer, pressurised hydrogen
Optical Observation of Water and Hydrogen Bubble in Cathode Toluene-Methylcyclohexane Flow inside Direct Toluene Hydrogenation Cell
Authors: Shigemasa Kaito , Jang Sunpil , Reyna Fatima , Inoue Kaisei , Araki Takuto , Terao Takuma , Nagasawa Kensaku , Mitsushima Shigenori 
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Energy transport and storage system should be considered with new energy source installation such as solar and wind power. There are some methods for it, and organic hydride methods are highly paid attention. In these methods, toluene-methylcyclohexane (MCH) conversion system is a good candidate as an energy transport and storage system with some reasons such as easy handling, affinity with Japanese current infrastructure, and so on. In the toluene-MCH conversion system, direct-toluene hydrogenation is especially paid attention since the system can be easier and exothermic heat loss reaction is less than other methods, so total efficiency of direct method gets higher than other methods.
However, there are some problems on it, and the most serious problem is optimizing water management in cathode [1,2]. In cathode, toluene and MCH are flowing, and water appears in cathode porous transport layer (PTL) by being transported from anode then the water interrupts fuel supplies and the conversion rate from toluene to MCH gets lower. Therefore, water management should be optimized for higher performance of the system. However, there is no research which is focusing on water movement in this system as far as we know.
Therefore, in this study, the original cell was investigated which had a visualization window on the cathode surface and allowed us to visualize the water movement during operating the system, and water movement was investigated. Fig. 1 shows the cell configuration and the actual picture from visualization window. As shown in Fig.1(a), the original cell was developed. In the left side, there is a visualization window with sapphire glass and the surface of the cathode PTL can be shot by hi-speed camera and so on. Fig.1(b) shows the example of visualization results. The cell was set with the gravity direction lower side and flow direction upper. The image shows us cathode PTL and toluene-MCH flow with water droplet and hydrogen bubble. As it can be seen in Fig.1(b), there are some droplets with several sizes. The 0.5 – 1.5 mm diameter droplets can be recognized as water droplet by seeing the movement with movie. By using this system, the effects of different anode supplies were discussed on water and hydrogen generation.

Reference

[1] K. Nagasawa et al., Electrochemistry, 339-344, 86 (2018)
[2] K. Nagasawa et al., Electrocatalysis, 164-169, 8 (2017)

Figure 1
(Invited) Compact Design of HT Pefmc Stacks with Advanced Cooling
Authors: De Castro Emory Sayre , Kaye Ian , Chen Ru , Pavlik Thomas 
Published: November 2022

ADVENT Technologies is an innovation-driven company in the fuel cell and hydrogen technology space. Our vision is to accelerate electrification through advanced materials, components, and next-generation fuel cell technology. Our technology applies to electrification (fuel cells) and energy storage (flow batteries, hydrogen production) markets, and we intend to commercialize it through partnerships with Tier1s, OEMs, and System Integrators.
In 2021 SerEnergy A/S, fischer Eco Systems and UltraCell LLC merged into one Advent organization, launching the Company into the forefront of fuel cell and systems companies that supply the entire technology chain from components to MEAs to stacks and systems. Currently Advent has operations in Boston, Massachusetts; Livermore, California (USA); Athens and Patras (GR); Aalborg (DK); Achern (DE); Manila (Philippines); and headquarters in Boston.
Applications for the current HT PEM technology are limited to those that can operate on relatively lower current density compared to state-of-the-art LT PEM, and thus transportation applications were largely focused toward HT PEM stacks acting as efficient battery range extenders using fuels such as methanol. On the other hand, LT PEM fuel cell stacks are limited when it comes to heavy duty applications such as fuel cell electric trucks and aeronautical applications due to a limited heat gradient for cooling.
A HT PEM MEA that operates at higher current over a wider range of temperatures including start up at under 100 °C would represent a paradigm shift in the HT PEM field and open up a wide range of new applications including competing in areas traditionally dominated by LT PEM while at the same time solving the burden of cooling for heavy duty applications. Furthermore, stacks that operate over 120 °C are amendable to advanced, compact cooling systems that have the potential to greatly reduce the fuel cell system weight and volume.
In a competitive process, Advent was selected as the commercialization partner for a new HT PEM technology pioneered by US Department of Energy scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratories. This next generation HT PEM technology is based on strongly formed ion pairs between a charged membrane and phosphoric acid, and has been shown to operate at far higher current density than possible with current HT PEM MEAs while at the same time exhibiting substantially lower degradation rates. This presentation will focus on the current status of our commercialization of the ion pair technology as well as introduce innovative cooling methodologies that leverage the higher operating temperature of HT PEM.