Recent Advances with Sulfonated Silica Ceramic Carbon Electrodes for Fuel Cells

Sulfonated silica-based ceramic carbon electrodes (SS-CCE) are prepared using low-cost organosilane precursors that are mixed with the carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) catalyst in monomer form, and subsequently polymerized and coated onto a gas diffusion layer in a single step. Our lab has demonstrated that that SS-CCEs can perform very well in a fuel cell dry operating conditions, due to the proton conductivity of the sulfonic acid moiety and the hygroscopic nature of the SiO2 backbone. While these results have been promising, there are few detailed studies of SS-CCE structure-property. Likewise, their durability in operating fuel cells have yet to be proven. This paper describes our group's recent progress towards optimization the synthesis and structure of SS-CCEs in order to enhance performance and promote a more homogenous distribution of silicate ionomer. The durability of SS-CCEs is also compared to that of conventional Nafion-based electrodes.