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@INPROCEEDINGS{Korte:1024852,
author = {Korte, Carsten and Suo, Yanpeng and Wippermann, Klaus and
Rodenbücher, Christian},
title = {{I}nfluence of {A}cidity, {W}ater and {T}emperature on the
{D}ouble {L}ayer {P}roperties of {P}rotic {I}onic {L}iquids
for {F}uture {F}uel {C}ell {A}pplications},
issn = {2151-2043},
reportid = {FZJ-2024-02518},
year = {2023},
abstract = {Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a
viable alternative to combustion engines and rechargeable
batteries for automotive applications. However, the
operating temperature of PEMFCs using sulfonated
fluoropolymers, e.g. NAFION®, is limited below 80 °C
(ambient pressure), because the proton conduction relies on
the presence of water. A PEMFC operating above 100 °C would
allow a much more simplified system setup for water and heat
management. This requires novel non-aqueous protic
electrolytes. Proton conducting ionic liquids (PIL) are
promising candidates. [1,2]. However, the fuel cell relevant
electrode reactions—oxygen reduction and hydrogen
oxidation reaction (ORR/HOR)—are not as well understood as
in aqueous electrolytes.In this study, we employed
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS),
cyclovoltammetry (CV), chronoamperomery (CA) and steady
state current measurements to elucidate the double layer
properties of the platinum electrode/PIL interface, the
kinetics and possible mechanism of the ORR. Three PILs with
different cation acidities with an Brønsted-acidic cation
[HA+][X−] are compared, [Dema][TfO], [1-EIm][TfO] and
[2-Sema][TfO].Comparing the PILs with different cation
acidity strongly suggest that the first reduction step
including the proton transfer to the (catalytic) active
sites on the electrode is mainly determining the ORR rate.
The presence of residual water, unavoidable also at fuel
cell operation >100 °C, is another important parameter. H2O
modifies the ordered structure of the electrochemical double
layer. Its protolysis equilibrium with an acidic PIL cation
results in the formation of H3O+ that serves as a proton
donor in the rate determining step and thus influences the
ORR kinetics. Highly acidic PIL cations serve as a proton
donor as well, particularly at low H2O concentrations,
whereas the role of H3O+ as proton donor in the ORR becomes
more prominent at higher water concentrations [3]. In low
acidic PILs, H3O+ is the predominant proton donor and the
ORR rate is significantly smaller resulting in considerably
higher overpotentials. Thus, the onset potential of the ORR
in a PIL based fuel cell will depend on both the
concentration of residual water and the PIL cation
acidity.Plots of the potential-dependent data from EIS
measurements in the complex capacitance plane (CCP) show
that at least two differential double layer capacitances are
present, depending on the cell potential U (vs. RHE), water
concentration c(H2O) and temperature T. The double layer
properties of the highly acidic [2-Sema][TfO] are
significantly different compared to the less acidic PILs
[1-EIm][TfO] and [Dema][TfO]. The potential dependent
capacitance curves were discussed by taking a mean field
model, the presence of water and short range correlations of
ions into account. [4, 5] The combined electrochemical
kinetics and double layer measurements provide a deeper
insight into the double layer structure at the Pt
electrode/PIL interface to reveal the rate limiting
parameters of the ORR and its mechanism.[1] K. Wippermann,
J. Giffin, S. Kuhri, W. Lehnert and C. Korte, Phys. Chem.
Chem. Phys. 19, 24706 (2017)[2] K. Wippermann, Y. Suo and C.
Korte, J. Phys. Chem. C 125(8), 8 (2021)[3] H. Hou, H. M.
Schütz, J. Giffin, K. Wippermann, X. Gao, A. Mariani, S.
Passerini and C. Korte, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13, 8370
(2021)[4] Z. A. H. Goodwin, G. Feng and A. A. Kornyshev,
Electrochim. Acta 225, 190 (2017)[5] J. Friedl, I. I. E.
Markovits, M. Herpich, G. Feng, A. A. Kornyshev and U.
Stimming, ChemElectroChem 4, 216 (2017)},
month = {May},
date = {2023-05-28},
organization = {243rd ECS Meeting, Boston (USA), 28
May 2023 - 2 Jun 2023},
cin = {IEK-14},
ddc = {540},
cid = {I:(DE-Juel1)IEK-14-20191129},
pnm = {1231 - Electrochemistry for Hydrogen (POF4-123)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-1231},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)1},
doi = {10.1149/MA2023-02562719mtgabs},
url = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1024852},
}