In situ synthesis and deposition of palladium nanoparticles on gas diffusion layers via gamma radiolysis for cathode electrodes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

This study investigates gamma radiolysis technique for synthesising and depositing palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on gas diffusion layers (GDLs). The Pd-coated GDLs were then used to fabricate MEAs, which were evaluated for their single-cell performance. The fabricated PEMFCs with Pd-loaded GDLs successfully generated potential and produced electricity, with the PEMFC with a Pd-loaded GDL prepared using a 0.05 M Pd precursor solution and 50 KGy dose achieved performances comparable to the PEMFC with commercial gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs). This study represents the first demonstration of a functional PEMFC using a novel gamma radiolysis-synthesised Pd catalyst GDL as the cathode electrode.