This SBIR Phase I project will develop proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells as a power source for automobiles and stationary or portable power applications. Currently, the high cost of the PEM fuel cell limits their commercial applications. A significant cost of a PEM fuel cell comes from the use of Platinum. This project intends to develop a low cost core shell nanostructured catalyst which has the advantages of high specific catalyst activity as well as controllable shape and size.
The broader/commercial impact of the project will be reduced use of platinum in PEM fuel cells. This will lower their cost. Fuel cells have the potential to revolutionize the power generation methodology and offer cleaner and more efficient power. This project targets the automobile industry as potential customers. More new jobs could be created by establishing leadership in this emerging technology; and fuel cells also are beneficial to the environment.
Technical Summary Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are considered as ideal power source for automobiles, stationary or portable power applications, however high cost of the PEM fuel cell hampers their commercial applications. A significant fraction of the cost for the state-of-the-art PEM fuel cell comes from platinum. According to U.S. Department of Energy, four times reduction of Pt usage is required in order to for the fuel cell to be competitive. Extensive effort is now underway in order to improve the catalyst activity. The optimization work involving Pt catalyst has delivered over 50 times performance improvement since 1990 and was used in latest generation of PEMFCs, however, the advancement seems to reach a plateau in this direction. Among various approaches proposed in the literature, Pt or Pd alloys are now being intensively pursued as the alternative catalysts. Pt alloy with non-noble metals also suffered performance degradation in PEMFC operation condition due to leaching of non-noble metals. Therefore, there exists a strong incentive for us to develop a novel catalyst system and a reliable catalyst preparation technique. In the Phase I work, a novel nanostructured oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts and unique manufacturing processes are developed. The catalyst has not only shown over twice more electrochemical activity than the state-of-the-art commercial Pt catalyst, but also much better electrochemical stability in the acid electrolyte. In the Phase II program, several additional approaches will be introduced to further develop such catalyst including the test in the fuel cell stack. With PI and our team’s expertise in these areas, we are confident that, with the support of this STTR program, this novel low cost, high performance and durable ORR catalyst will be developed and commercialized for PEM fuel cell applications. Broader Impacts/Commercial Potential Fuel cells are an important enabling technology for the hydrogen economy and have the potential to revolutionize the way to power our nation, offering cleaner, more-efficient power for various applications including fuel cell vehicles, stationary power and advanced portable electronics. The proposed innovation targets to the whole automotive industry as potential customers. The transportation industry is essential to the US economy. Establishing the leadership position in this emerging technology will lead to more export and create new high paying jobs. In addition, by switching to fuel cell could also be beneficial to the environment. This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
