Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers
The Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Laboratory of the CheMaMSE group focuses its activites on: (i) the synthesis of anodic and cathodic electrocatalyst materials for applicationin low-temperature fuel cells and electrolyzers (T < 250°C); and (ii) the assembly and characterization under operating conditions of fuel cell and electrolyzers prototypes comprising non-conventional functional materials.
The synthesis of the electrocatalyst materials is carried out using innovative and patented procedures that allow to achieve an accurate control over crucial features of the materials such as the chemical composition, the morphology and the structure. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain large quantities of products exhibiting a performance and a durability that exceed the state of the art.
The fabrication of the fuel cell and electrolyzers prototypes, on the other hand, is divided into a complex series of steps aimed at integrating the various functional materials to obtain devices showing a high performance. The know-how available in the laboratory also covers: (i) all the optimization operations of the device manufacturing parameters; and (ii) the procedures to activate and characterize the final devices, ultimately determining their performance and durability.
Specifically, the low-temperature fuel cell and electrolyzer families taken into consideration are:
• Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers (AEMFCs and AEMELs). In this context, the activities mainly concern: (i) the study of electrocatalyst materials for cathode electrodes with either a low platinum content or completely “Pt-free”; and (ii) the integration in prototype devices of innovative anion-exchange membranes based on polyaromatic macromolecules and polyketones.
• Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers (PEMFCs and PEMELs) operating at T < 120°C. The research on this topic focuses on: (i) the study of electrocatalyst materials for cathode electrodes with either a low platinum content or completely “Pt-free”; and (ii) on the integration of non-conventional electrodes and membranes into prototype devices; specifically, the latter include hybrid inorganic-organic systems and separators based on innovative macromolecules.
• High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (HT-PEMFCs). Here the studies are aimed mainly at integrating hybrid inorganic-organic membranes based on polymers such as polybenzimidazole and similar including ceramic fillers into prototype devices. The final devices are then tested at elevated temperatures (T up to over 200°C) under realistic operating conditions.
• Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells. These devices use as the fuel simple alcohols including methanol, ethanol and isopropanol; typically, they operate at T <80°C. The research activities are mainly aimed at: (i) developing anode electrocatalysts capable of oxidizing the fuel easily; (ii) devising cathode electrocatalysts capable to efficiently and selectively reduce the oxidant without suffering the ill effects of the fuel that permeates the separator membrane; and (iii) implementing in prototype devices suitable separator membranes capable of selectively conducting the desired ionic species at the same time blocking the reciprocal permeation of the reactants.
