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Preparation of solid polymer electrolyte composites: investigation of the precipitation process

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Abstract

A model for the chemical reduction of platinum tetramine in perfluorinated Nafion® membranes using sodium borohydride as reducer is proposed. A Nernst-Planck equation is employed for the description of ion transport by diffusion and migration and a reaction term accounts for the in situ chemical reduction. Time-dependent concentrations of the diffusing species within the membrane are obtained numerically by an iterative technique until completion of the precipitation. The model assumes that mass transport is limited by diffusion and migration within the membrane and that the concentrations remain constant at the interfaces during the precipitation. The model shows the effect of (i) the reducer concentration in the solution, (ii) the number of precipitation cycles and (iii) the rate of chemical reduction. To check the validity of the model, metallic platinum concentration profiles across the membrane thickness are obtained by electron microprobe analysis. Values of the diffusion coefficients of the diffusing species within the membrane are obtained from conductivity and permeation measurements.

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Abbreviations

C 0b :

reducer concentration in the bulk solution (mol cmt-3)

C − :

sulfonate concentration in the membrane (mol cm−3)

C i :

concentration in species i in the Nafion® membrane (mol cm−3)

D i :

diffusion coefficient of species i in the membrane (cm2 s−1)

EME:

electrode-membrane-electrode unit

e :

thickness of EME unit (cm)

F :

Faraday (96 500 C mol−1)

k :

Boltzmann constant (1.38 × 10−23 J K−1)

M Pt 0 :

platinum molecular weight (kg mol−1)

R :

perfect gas constant (8.32 J kg−1 K−1)

T :

absolute temperature (K)

u i :

absolute ionic mobility of species i (cm3 s−1 J−1)

V :

membrane volume (cm3)

z i :

charge beared by species i

Φ i :

flux of species i (mol cm−2 s−1)

φ:

electric potential (V)

Σ:

constant defined by Equation 12

τ:

empirical factor varying from 1 to 0 and used to account for different chemical reactivities

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire des Composés Non Stoechiométriques, Université de Paris-Sud, Bât. 415, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France

    P. Millet

  2. Centre de Recherche en Electrochimie Minérale et en Génie des Procédés, BP 75, 38402, Saint-Martin d'Hères Cedex, France

    F. Andolfatto & R. Durand

Authors
  1. P. Millet
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  2. F. Andolfatto
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  3. R. Durand
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Millet, P., Andolfatto, F. & Durand, R. Preparation of solid polymer electrolyte composites: investigation of the precipitation process. J Appl Electrochem 25, 233–239 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262961

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262961

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