InRedox nanocomposites enable durable fuel cells
Recent paper in Advanced Materials reported on exceptional durability and power density for heavy-duty fuel cell that were enabled by novel nanocomposites produced by InRedox.
These nanocomposites – arrays of porous Pt nanoshells – were synthesized by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of Pt inside the nanoporous Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) films. LANL researchers then used these materials to create coaxial nanowire electrodes (CANE) for fuel cells. In CANE, high density vertically aligned ionomer cores are encapsulated by nanoscale porous Pt without carbon support or ionomer binder, enabling improved durability and faster mass-transport.
As a result, fuel cell membrane electrodes based on CANEs demonstrated extraordinary durability in accelerated stress tests (ASTs), with only 2% and 5% loss in performance at 0.7 V after 5,000 support AST cycles and 30,000 catalyst AST cycles, respectively. The high power density and extremely high durability provided by CANEs could enable a paradigm shift from random electrodes based on unstable platinum nanoparticles dispersed on carbon to ordered electrodes based on durable Pt nanofilms, facilitating rapid deployment of fuel cells in transportation and other clean energy applications.
, , , , , , , , , Coaxial Nanowire Electrodes Enable Exceptional Fuel Cell Durability. Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2301264. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202301264
