Performance improvement of electrode for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

The very high power density output available from polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells combined with low cost has high potential for commercialization. Such high power densities are attained via better utilization of Pt crystallites in the reaction layer. This enhanced performance can be achieved by making a thin catalyst layer on the membrane surface. The robustness in the front surface catalysts is essential to minimize the coagulation of Pt particles when the fuel cells are subjected to long-term operation. This robustness of the catalyst structure depends on the manufacturing processes and also the organic solvents used to make the slurry. In this work, five different electrodes were fabricated by using different fabrication procedures, and the poison effect of CO was investigated at the anode interface.