Electrospun Fe-N-C Based Electrodes for PEM Fuel Cells

The main objective of this thesis is to fabricate catalyst layers using electrospun single and core-shell nanofibers by utilizing Fe-N-C catalyst and PVDF/Nafion®, and examining the effect of cerium oxide (CeO₂).The initial section of this research focused on the development of hollow fiber carbon-based Fe-N-C catalyst and PVDF/Nafion® fiber-based catalyst layers The findings indicated that utilizing core-shell electrospinning ceria included to produce hollow fiber-based electrodes holds the great potential for enhancing the efficiency and longevity of fuel cells. This innovative hollow fiber structure is being presented for the first time in literature on PEM fuel cell. It establishes the higher standard by greatly improving the maximum power densities and operating stability.The MEAs with the cathode catalyst loading of 3 mg cm-2 utilizing core-shell fibers withceria obtained the maximum power density of 84 mW cm⁻² during the initial testing phase known as beginning-of-life (BOL). As the main findings of the end-of-test (EOT) . examination, the power density of 96 mW cm-2 was achieved. The perfect increase in power demonstrates the exceptional long-term durability and stability. The MEAs also exhibited higher current densities during the EOT testing, indicating enhanced performance during extended operational circumstances. Ceria has a pivotal role on preventing the hydrogen peroxide production during ORR, improving the performance and durability of PEM fuel cell.The second section of the thesis emphasized on the production of electrospun catalyst layer utilizing Fe-N-C catalysts based using nano graphene and PVDF/Nafion®. This part aims to investigate the effect of carbon support in the Fe-N-C structure and the resulting nanofiber-based catalyst layer structure and PEM fuel cell performance. Comprehensive characterizations confirm the presence of graphitic domains and the excellent dispersion of the catalyst within the fibrous matrix. This electrospun mat has been produced for additional exploration of its operational performance, based on the results obtained during the initial phase.The thesis showcases a novel method to enhance the efficiency of PEM fuel cells by integrating state-of-the-art methods for material processing with inventive catalyst architectures. The results emphasize the ability of core-shell structures and ceria’s effect to establish higher benchmarks in both efficiency and durability of PEM fuel cells.