Oxygen Absorption in Electrocatalyst Layers Detected by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Access rights

openAccess

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2021-08-02

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

6
2950-2955

Series

CHEMELECTROCHEM, Volume 8, issue 15

Abstract

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is able to track the local electrochemical activity of an electrolyte-immersed substrate employing an ultra-micro-electrode (UME) in micrometer-scale spatial resolution. In this study, SECM is employed to investigate the presence of oxygen in the electrocatalyst layers of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. Approach curves on electrocatalyst layers with the tip potential set for oxygen reduction reveal that a significant amount of oxygen is absorbed in the catalyst layer. We confirm that the coexistence of Nafion ionomer and carbon black leads to oxygen confinement. It is suggested that this oxygen is confined within the hydrophobic parts of the self-assembled Nafion on the graphitic surfaces of the carbon black.

Description

This publication has emanated from research supported by the European Research Council through a Starting Grant (agreement no. 950038) and was funded by Academy of Finland, Academy Research Fellow funding (grant no. 315739, 343791, 320071 and 343794).

Keywords

Other note

Citation

Moghaddam, M & Peljo, P 2021, ' Oxygen Absorption in Electrocatalyst Layers Detected by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy ', ChemElectroChem, vol. 8, no. 15, pp. 2950-2955 . https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202100702