The buffer microporous layer improved water management for proton exchange membrane fuel cell at varying humidification

[Display omitted] •A BMPL with a structure comparable to ACL was sprayed on the anode GDL.•The MEA with BMPL improves cell performance in low humidification conditions.•The MEA with BMPL presents good stability as the humidity changes.•The straightforward preparation process of GDL reveals actual application value. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are projected to be extensively deployed in different vehicle circumstances, with one of the primary issues being the water management of microporous layers. In this work, the sprayed cathode hydrophobic microporous layer with added pore forming agent has a substantially greater drainage capability than the commercial gas diffusion layer (GDL), significantly enhancing the peak power density of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). In view of the membrane dehydration of MEA under typical vehicle humidification conditions, a buffer microporous layer (BMPL) comparable in structure to the anode catalyst layer (ACL) is sprayed over the commercial GDL as the anode water-retention GDL. The MEA performs considerably better than the MEA with commercial GDL. The peak power density improved by 36.8%, and its performance is less susceptible to humidity changes. This efficient water retention capacity assures the catalyst layer's (CL) wettability and speeds up hydrogen activation and proton transfer. Furthermore, this GDL preparation and optimization procedure is straightforward, the cost is manageable, and it has actual application value. This work proposes a novel technique for cathode and anode GDL matching, as well as commercial GDL customization.