Tungsten Oxide in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Electrodes
There is an experiment the scientists have done. Thin films of tungsten oxide and Pt on tungsten oxide were evaporated onto the microporous layer of a gas diffusion layer (GDL) and served as model electrodes in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) as well as in liquid electrolyte measurements. In order to study the effects of introducing tungsten oxide in PEFC electrodes, precise amounts of tungsten oxide (films ranging from 0 to 40 nm) with or without a top layer of Pt (3nm) were prepared. The structure of the thin-film model electrodes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy prior to the electrochemical investigations. The impact of Nafion in the electrode structure was examined by comparing samples with and without Nafion solution sprayed onto the electrode. Fuel cell measurements showed an increased amount of hydrogen tungsten bronzes formed for increasing tungsten oxide thicknesses and ...