Role of H₃O· Radical in the Degradation of Fuel Cell Proton-Exchange Membranes.

ABSTRACT: Membrane durability in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is one of the major obstacles limiting its applications, especially in heavy-duty vehicles. Membrane degradation reactions are thought to be attacks by radicals such as hydroxyl (HO^•) or hydrogen atom (H^•) generated during fuel cell operation. For the H^• case, computational modeling results have suggested that the reaction between H^• and the sulfonic group should be the dominant degradation pathway. However, experimental work implies that the tertiary fluorine (t-F) attack is the dominant H^• reaction pathway, apparently contradicting the theoretical prediction. Based on previous experimental evidence on isotopic substitution, we postulate that the hydronium radi

SUBMITTER: Long H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9955370 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature