Role of Patterned Wettability of Anode Porous Transport Layer in Enhancing Two-Phase Transport for Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers

IF 8.3 2区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI:10.1021/acsami.5c07788

Yang Xu, Dingding Ye, Chen Yang, Jun Li, Yang Yang, Liang Zhang, Jian Huang, Xun Zhu, Qiang Liao

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Abstract

Green hydrogen production through proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, powered by renewable energy sources and capable of operating at high current densities, has attracted considerable attention. However, two-phase transport within the anode porous transport layer (PTL) and catalyst layer (CL) significantly impacts the performance of PEM electrolyzers. In this work, the role of patterned wettability of the PTL is investigated in optimizing the gas distribution in the PTL, PTL/CL interface, and CL for PEM electrolyzers by a three-dimensional, two-phase, dual-scale pore network model. The dual-scale pore network modeling (PNM) approach analyzes the gas invasion process in the PTL, with a view to examining the impact of wettability on two-phase transport. Initially, gas invades larger pores at the PTL/CL interface, resulting in a rapid increase in the gas-phase saturation. As the invasion process continues, the rate of increase in the gas-phase saturation declines. By adjusting the width and ratio of hydrophobic regions in the PTL, gas-phase saturation can be effectively reduced. Notably, implementing patterned wettability with a hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio of 3:1 and a width of 25 μm enhances water transport, reducing gas-phase saturation to 18%, which is over 14% lower than that observed for the PTL with original wettability.

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阳极多孔传输层的模式润湿性在质子交换膜电解槽两相传输中的作用

利用质子交换膜（PEM）电解槽的绿色制氢技术，以可再生能源为动力，能够在高电流密度下工作，已经引起了人们的广泛关注。然而，阳极多孔传输层（PTL）和催化剂层（CL）内的两相传输对PEM电解槽的性能有显著影响。在这项工作中，通过一个三维，两相，双尺度孔隙网络模型，研究了PTL的模式润湿性在优化PEM电解槽PTL， PTL/CL界面和CL中的气体分布中的作用。双尺度孔隙网络建模（PNM）方法分析了气体在PTL中的侵入过程，旨在研究润湿性对两相输运的影响。最初，气体侵入PTL/CL界面上较大的孔隙，导致气相饱和度迅速增加。随着侵入过程的继续，气相饱和度的增加速率下降。通过调整PTL中疏水区域的宽度和比例，可以有效地降低气相饱和度。值得注意的是，采用亲疏水比为3:1、宽度为25 μm的模式润湿性可以增强水输运，将气相饱和度降低至18%，比具有原始润湿性的PTL降低了14%以上。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

16.00

自引率

6.30%

发文量

4978

审稿时长

1.8 months

期刊介绍： ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces is a leading interdisciplinary journal that brings together chemists, engineers, physicists, and biologists to explore the development and utilization of newly-discovered materials and interfacial processes for specific applications. Our journal has experienced remarkable growth since its establishment in 2009, both in terms of the number of articles published and the impact of the research showcased. We are proud to foster a truly global community, with the majority of published articles originating from outside the United States, reflecting the rapid growth of applied research worldwide.