Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell with Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrode

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered a promising material for various applications, including polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). There have been a number of reports on CNT based membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in PEMFC, but CNTs in these electrodes are oriented randomly and the advantages associated with the structural properties of CNTs were not fully utilized. We report here our evaluation of MEA made of catalyst decorated, vertically aligned carbon nanotube (ACNT) layers. For comparison, a commercial MEA prepared through conventional ink-based process was tested under similar conditions. Improved performance was observed for ACNT-based MEA, particularly at high current region, suggesting enhancement in mass transport and improved water management.