Preparation and evaluation of a novel self-humidifying Pt/PFSA composite membrane for PEM fuel cell

Abstract A novel self-humidifying Pt/PFSA membrane for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells has been developed. Platinum nanocrystals were dispersed gradationally in the membrane by equilibrium impregnation–reduction (I–R) method. The physical characteristics of the novel self-humidifying PEM were studied by those methods of XRD and XPS, and electrochemical Performances of the self-humidifying Pt/PFSA membrane and PFSA membrane compared in 5 cm 2 single cells with 0.3 Pt mg/cm 2 platinum loading. The results indicated that Pt distribution in the Pt/PFSA composite membrane was gradient degression from one side to the opposite side, and average size of Pt is about 6 nm. The peak power density of the Pt/PFSA cell reached over 1.2 W/cm 2 at 70 °C, 0.2 MPa with dry hydrogen and dry oxygen.