Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure ...Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure of catalyst layers with efficient mass transportation channels plays a vital role.Herein,PEMFCs with order-structured cathodic electrodes were fabricated by depositing Pt nanoparticles by Ebeam onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)growth on Al foil via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.Results demonstrate that the proportion of hydrophilic Pt-deposited region along VACNTs and residual hydrophobic region of VANCTs without Pt strongly influences the cell performance,in particular at high current densities.When Pt nanoparticles deposit on the top depth of around 600 nm on VACNTs with a length of 4.6μm,the cell shows the highest performance,compared with others with various lengths of VACNTs.It delivers a maximum power output of 1.61 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/O_(2),150 k Pa)and 0.79 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/Air,150 k Pa)at Pt loading of 50μg cm^(-2),exceeding most of previously reported PEMFCs with Pt loading of<100μg cm^(-2).Even though the Pt loading is down to 30μg cm^(-2)(1.36 W cm^(-2)),the performance is also better than 100μg cm^(-2)(1.24 W cm^(-2))of commercial Pt/C,and presents better stability.This excellent performance is critical attributed to the ordered hydrophobic region providing sufficient mass passages to facilitate the fast water drainage at high current densities.This work gives a new understanding for oxygen reduction reaction occurred in VACNTs-based ordered electrodes,demonstrating the most possibility to achieve a substantial reduction in Pt loading<100μg cm^(-2) without sacrificing in performance.展开更多
Dielectrophoresis(DEP)describes the motion of suspended objects when exposed to an inhomogeneous electric field.It has been successful as a method for parallel and site-selective assembling of nanotubes from a dispers...Dielectrophoresis(DEP)describes the motion of suspended objects when exposed to an inhomogeneous electric field.It has been successful as a method for parallel and site-selective assembling of nanotubes from a dispersion into a sophisticated device architecture.Researchers have conducted extensive works to understand the DEP of nanotubes in aqueous ionic surfactant solutions.However,only recently,DEP was applied to polymer-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)in organic solvents due to the availability of ultra-pure SWCNT content.In this paper,the focus is on the difference between the DEP in aqueous and organic solutions.It starts with an introduction into the DEP of carbon nanotubes(CNT-DEP)to provide a comprehensive,in-depth theoretical background before discussing in detail the experimental procedures and conditions.For academic interests,this work focuses on the CNT-DEP deposition scheme,discusses the importance of the electrical double layer,and employs finite element simulations to optimize CNT-DEP deposition condition with respect to the experimental observation.An important outcome is an understanding of why DEP in organic solvents allows for the deposition and alignment of SWCNTs in low-frequency and even static electric fields,and why the response of semiconducting SWCNTs(s-SWCNTs)is strongly enhanced in non-conducting,weakly polarizable media.Strategies to further improve CNT-DEP for s-SWCNT-relevant applications are given as well.Overall,this work should serve as a practical guideline to select the appropriate setting for effective CNT DEPs.展开更多
基金finically supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22075055)the Guangxi Science and Technology Project(AB16380030)the Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education(YCSW2020052)。
文摘Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure of catalyst layers with efficient mass transportation channels plays a vital role.Herein,PEMFCs with order-structured cathodic electrodes were fabricated by depositing Pt nanoparticles by Ebeam onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)growth on Al foil via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.Results demonstrate that the proportion of hydrophilic Pt-deposited region along VACNTs and residual hydrophobic region of VANCTs without Pt strongly influences the cell performance,in particular at high current densities.When Pt nanoparticles deposit on the top depth of around 600 nm on VACNTs with a length of 4.6μm,the cell shows the highest performance,compared with others with various lengths of VACNTs.It delivers a maximum power output of 1.61 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/O_(2),150 k Pa)and 0.79 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/Air,150 k Pa)at Pt loading of 50μg cm^(-2),exceeding most of previously reported PEMFCs with Pt loading of<100μg cm^(-2).Even though the Pt loading is down to 30μg cm^(-2)(1.36 W cm^(-2)),the performance is also better than 100μg cm^(-2)(1.24 W cm^(-2))of commercial Pt/C,and presents better stability.This excellent performance is critical attributed to the ordered hydrophobic region providing sufficient mass passages to facilitate the fast water drainage at high current densities.This work gives a new understanding for oxygen reduction reaction occurred in VACNTs-based ordered electrodes,demonstrating the most possibility to achieve a substantial reduction in Pt loading<100μg cm^(-2) without sacrificing in performance.
基金S.Flavel acknowledges support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafts Emmy Noether Program under grant number FL 834/1-1.
文摘Dielectrophoresis(DEP)describes the motion of suspended objects when exposed to an inhomogeneous electric field.It has been successful as a method for parallel and site-selective assembling of nanotubes from a dispersion into a sophisticated device architecture.Researchers have conducted extensive works to understand the DEP of nanotubes in aqueous ionic surfactant solutions.However,only recently,DEP was applied to polymer-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)in organic solvents due to the availability of ultra-pure SWCNT content.In this paper,the focus is on the difference between the DEP in aqueous and organic solutions.It starts with an introduction into the DEP of carbon nanotubes(CNT-DEP)to provide a comprehensive,in-depth theoretical background before discussing in detail the experimental procedures and conditions.For academic interests,this work focuses on the CNT-DEP deposition scheme,discusses the importance of the electrical double layer,and employs finite element simulations to optimize CNT-DEP deposition condition with respect to the experimental observation.An important outcome is an understanding of why DEP in organic solvents allows for the deposition and alignment of SWCNTs in low-frequency and even static electric fields,and why the response of semiconducting SWCNTs(s-SWCNTs)is strongly enhanced in non-conducting,weakly polarizable media.Strategies to further improve CNT-DEP for s-SWCNT-relevant applications are given as well.Overall,this work should serve as a practical guideline to select the appropriate setting for effective CNT DEPs.
