Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : March 04, 2023
Polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) are expected to be the next generation of high-efficiency energy conversion devices. In a PEFC, a thin film (several nm thick) of polymer electrolyte (typically Nafion) in the catalyst layer is responsible for transporting protons, while it also hinders oxygen transport. Therefore, the Nafion thin film is an important component to achieve high performance, but their structure and formation process are still not fully understood. In this study, we evaluate the structure and properties of Nafion using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging system. The results of the observation of pure water drops on the gold surface showed that the bright and dark areas between the gold-droplet interface region and the gold-atmosphere interface region were visible. Also, observation of the drying process of Nafion dispersion solution (film formation) showed that an agglomeration occurred. Then, a spin-coater deposition was applied as a uniform Nafion deposition method. In addition, as a preliminary step to observe the Nafion film when potential is applied during a power generation, the effect of potential application on the SPR observation was investigated.
