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Effect of Ionic Liquids on the Structure of Ionomer Inks

Published

Author(s)

Tyler Martin, Kimber Stamm Masias

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of ionic liquids (ILs) on the structure and performance of catalyst inks used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Using contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering (CV-SANS), we elucidate the structural interactions between ionomers, Pt/C catalyst particles, and ILs. The analysis reveals that IL composition significantly influences the arrangement of ionomers and their interactions with other ink components. In particular, one of the ILs ([BMIM][C4]) exhibited stronger associations with both ionomer and catalyst particles, resulting in reduced availability of platinum catalytic sites and lower PEMFC performance. These findings demonstrate the structural origins of electrochemical performance variations, providing insights into the design of improved ionic liquid formulations for enhanced fuel cell efficiency.
Citation
Macromolecules
Volume
58
Issue
15

Citation

Martin, T. and Stamm Masias, K. (2025), Effect of Ionic Liquids on the Structure of Ionomer Inks, Macromolecules, [online], https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.5c00698, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=958685 (Accessed September 8, 2025)

Issues

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Created July 28, 2025, Updated September 1, 2025
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