Study of catalyst layer degradation mechanism in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program supports research and development that has substantially improved the state-of-the-art in fuel cell technology, especially with regard to the major technical hurdles to fuel cell commercialization - durability, performance, and cost of fuel cell components and systems. Catalyst layer degradation has become an important issue in the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Their performance decrease during operation is attributed, amongst others, to the loss of electrochemical surface area occurring during long-term ageing. These losses are mainly due to catalyst metal degradation and carbon-support corrosion, which are continuous irreversible processes that can dramatically reduce the fuel cell lifetime. This paper reviews the most recent research on degradation and durability issues in the catalyst layers including: (1) platinum catalysts, (2) carbon supports, and (3) Nafion ionomer and interfacial degradation. The review aims to provide a clear understanding of the link between microstructural/macrostructural changes of the catalyst layer and performance degradation of the PEM fuel cell fueled with hydrogen