Aniline as a Cationic and Aromatic Contaminant in PEMFCs

Aniline as a possible contaminant in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been studied by several ex-situ techniques. The aniline isotherm for MEA shows more affinity to ion-exchange with the PEM than other monovalent such as sodium and ammonium ions, thus indicating stronger performance loss at the same concentration. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) of Pt/C show the loss of electrochemical surface area (ECSA) by with the addition of aniline in the electrolyte. The appearance of unknown peaks in CV may indicate the production of polyaniline (PANT) film which appears to grow with the number of CV tests. These studies indicate that the use of balance of plant components that leach aniline should be avoided since its presence appears to decrease the electrochemical activity of the electrode for the oxygen reduction reaction. Further studies on aniline with in-situ experiment may not be warranted.