Effects of cathode gas diffusion layer type and membrane electrode assembly preparation on the performance of immobilized glucose oxidase‐based enzyme fuel cell

Abstract

Abstract Different cathode configurations with carbon paper (CP) and carbon cloth (CC) gas diffusion layer (GDL) are combined with Nafion® 115 for GOx enzyme fuel cells. Catalyst‐coated Nafion membrane (without a GDL) has resulted with highest impedance and lowest polarization response. Hot pressing of cathode gas diffusion electrode (GDE) onto the Nafion or physical placement onto the alternative chitosan membrane has reduced interface resistance 10 times compared with no‐GDL case. The best performance for the Nafion membrane is 2.1 mA cm −2 current density with hot‐pressed CC‐GDE. Smallest high‐frequency electrolyte (0.55 ohm) and charge transfer resistances (0.15 ohm) were measured with physically placed CC‐GDE on the alternative chitosan membrane resulting in maximum short current density of 3 mA cm −2 with a 4‐cm 2 single enzyme fuel cell.

Key findings

• ▸Hot pressing of cathode gas diffusion electrodes onto Nafion membranes reduced interface resistance 10 times compared to no-GDL case.
• ▸The best performance for the Nafion membrane was 2.1 mA cm⁻² current density with hot-pressed CC-GDE.
• ▸Physically placed CC-GDE on alternative chitosan membrane resulted in maximum short current density of 3 mA cm⁻² with a 4-cm² single enzyme fuel cell.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/apj.2686

Journal

Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering

Year

2021