Fuel cells are seen as promising, environmentally desirable alternatives to fossil fuel powered applications, particularly for transportation. Significant investments have been made in this area, but economical fuel cells remain a target. A key factor that has limited the progress in broad deployment of fuel cell devices is the high cost of the incorporated platinum catalyst nanoparticles. In this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award, Professor Vibha Kalra of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA will attempt to change this situation using a unique nanofiber-based catalyst layer in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The catalyst will be fabricated via a process called electrospinning. Electrospinning is a simple fiber formation technique that uses strong electric field to accelerate and thin a polymer solution/melt jet, resulting in fibers with nanoscale diameters (50-500 nm). The project will involve experiments and multi-scale simulations to first understand and tailor the internal assembly in the proposed catalyst layer followed by a detailed investigation of the effect of this nanoscale assembly on performance in fuel cells. The aim is to develop an intertwined network within the catalyst layer, such that the catalyst (platinum) nanoparticles have simultaneous access to all reactants for the electrochemical reaction to take place efficiently. This will maximize the electrochemical surface area and consequently the utilization of catalyst nanoparticles, thereby resulting in lower total catalyst cost.
The integrated educational objective of this project is to help students at K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels, particularly women and those from under-represented minorities, to appreciate the power of science and engineering in general and to inspire them to contribute to society through continued research in materials and renewable energy. A comprehensive K-12 outreach program will be developed by Prof. Kalra, involving workshops and research experience for students and teachers in the Philadelphia area, where currently 80% of students are minorities. The integrated educational activities will generate interest in materials and energy research among a much larger audience at various education levels.
