High performance membrane-electrode assembly based on a surface-modified membrane

A surface-modified membrane is prepared using a sputtering technique that deposits gold directly on a Nafion® 115 membrane surface that is roughened with silicon carbide paper. The surface-modified membranes are characterized by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and water contact-angle analysis. A single direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with a surface-modified membrane exhibits enhanced performance (160 mW cm−2), while a bare Nafion® 115 cell yields 113 mW cm−2 at 0.4 V and an operating temperature of 70 °C. From FE-SEM images and COad stripping voltammograms, it is also found that the gold layer is composed of clusters of porous nodule-like particles, which indicates that an anode with nodule-like gold leads to the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide. These results suggest that the topology of gold in the interfacial area and its electrocatalytic nature may be the critical factors that affect DMFC performance.