Integration of Ionomer and Platinum Catalyst for Application in Novel PEM Fuel Cell Architecture

The current preparation procedure for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is plagued by poorly controlled coating methods that lead to an inefficient utilization of platinum catalyst and irreproducible results. Proposed, is an alternative architecture that optimizes the cathode side of a PEM fuel cell by integrating catalyst, ionomer, and diffusion into a single porous network. The small size of the pores demands a surface-grown polymer that can be integrated with the catalyst without poisoning. The successful growth via ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a 100 nm sulfonated polynorbornene ionomer on a 2D surface was confirmed by RAIRS, contact angle goniometry, and ellipsometry. Integration of this ionomer with catalyst was shown to be successful through cyclic voltammetry, which registered a peak potential of 330 mV in the oxygen reduction reaction. Porous dealloyed gold leaf supported on gold plated silicon serves as a 3D substrate for further characterization.