The impact of graphene-based materials on anion-exchange membrane fuel cells
Aniket Raut,
Haoyan Fang,
Yu-Chung Lin,
Shi Fu,
Md Farabi Rahman,
David Sprouster,
Likun Wang,
Yiwei Fang,
Yifan Yin,
Devanshi Bhardwaj,
Rebecca Isseroff,
Tai-De Li,
Michael Cuiffo,
John C. Douglin,
Jaana Lilloja,
Kaido Tammeveski,
Dario R. Dekel,
Miriam Rafailovich
Affiliations
Aniket Raut
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Haoyan Fang
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Yu-Chung Lin
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Shi Fu
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Md Farabi Rahman
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
David Sprouster
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Likun Wang
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Yiwei Fang
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Yifan Yin
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Devanshi Bhardwaj
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Rebecca Isseroff
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
Tai-De Li
Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 10031, USA
Michael Cuiffo
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
John C. Douglin
The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion –Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
Jaana Lilloja
Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, Tartu 50411, Estonia
Kaido Tammeveski
Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, Tartu 50411, Estonia
Dario R. Dekel
The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion –Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
Miriam Rafailovich
Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA; Corresponding author.
This study addresses the challenges of power output and durability in anion-exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells (AEMFCs) through the use of graphene-based materials. Graphene oxide (GO) and partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) with varying degrees of reduction were synthesized and characterized via Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). AEMs were coated with the synthesized graphene materials and tested with Pt catalyst. The addition of GO and prGO with high degrees of reduction improved power output by 12 % and 5 %, respectively, and increased durability by 29 %. Optimal reduction degree of prGO showed significant improvements, enhancing power output by 53 % and doubling membrane life. When FeCo-N-C replaced Pt/C at the cathode, the power enhancement with intermediate prGO was reduced to 16 %, and durability increased by only 13 %, indicating a specific synergy with Pt. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) analysis showed that graphene addition maintained membrane integrity and prevented Pt nucleation within the membrane. However, after 140 h, the membrane interface became rough, causing electrical shorts. It is hypothesized that the hexagonal carbon ring structure of graphene allows OH− migration but blocks larger Pt ions, preventing degradation. Further investigation is needed to understand the significant power enhancement with minimal prGO addition.
