Contamination Effects on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are emerging as a key technology for clean energy conversion in transport, stationary power and maritime applications. Their performance and durability, however, can be severely compromised by a range of contaminants introduced via fuel impurities, ambient air or degradation by-products. Common poisons such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides may adsorb strongly on platinum catalyst sites, reducing activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and leading to voltage losses. Foreign cations (for example Ca2+ or Na+) and particulate inorganics such as cerium oxide can displace protons in the membrane and catalyst layer, inducing proton depletion, accelerated carbon corrosion and thinning of catalyst layers. Acidic degradation fragments from the membrane may also migrate into the electrode, disrupting proton transport and gas permeability. The combined effects are increased ionic and mass-transport resistance, structural damage to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and ultimately premature cell failure. Research efforts are therefore focused on understanding contaminant interaction mechanisms, developing mitigation strategies such as advanced filtration and in-situ chemical regeneration, and designing more tolerant catalyst and membrane materials to assure reliable long-term PEMFC operation.

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Contamination Effects on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in contamination effects on proton exchange membrane fuel cells across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC): An electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water, using a polymer membrane that selectively conducts protons.

Membrane electrode assembly (MEA): The central component of a PEMFC, comprising the proton exchange membrane sandwiched between catalyst layers and gas diffusion media.

Catalyst layer: A porous coating of platinum or alternative electrocatalyst on carbon support, responsible for facilitating hydrogen oxidation at the anode or oxygen reduction at the cathode.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR): The electrochemical process at the cathode in which molecular oxygen is reduced to water, often the rate-limiting step in PEMFC performance.

Carbon corrosion: Oxidation and degradation of the carbon support in catalyst layers, typically accelerated under proton-starved or high-potential conditions, leading to loss of catalyst surface area.

Foreign cation contamination: The introduction of non-protonic ions (such as Ca2+ or Na+) into the membrane or catalyst layer, which impedes proton conduction and can trigger secondary degradation processes.

References

1. Thinning of Cathode Catalyst Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells Due to Foreign Cation Contamination. Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2018).
2. Using corrosion-like processes to remove poisons from electrocatalysts: a viable strategy to chemically regenerate irreversibly poisoned polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Electrochimica Acta (2016).
3. Poisoning Effects of Cerium Oxide (CeO2) on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). ChemEngineering (2022).
4. Investigation of Filtration Phenomena of Air Pollutants on Cathode Air Filters for PEM Fuel Cells. Catalysts (2021).
5. The Effect of Salty Environments on the Degradation Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Nafion Membranes. Energies (2023).
6. Impact of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Degradation Products on Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity for Platinum Electrocatalysts. Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2014).