Title of Invention	AN ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL FUEL CELL
Abstract	The present invention relates to an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger; a membrane crosslinker; a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst; and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein the ion-exchange membrane non- uniformly supports the additive; and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane; and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane more susceptible to membrane degradation.

Title of Invention

AN ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL FUEL CELL

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger; a membrane crosslinker; a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst; and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein the ion-exchange membrane non- uniformly supports the additive; and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane; and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane more susceptible to membrane degradation.

Full Text	BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to ion-exchange membranes and more particularly to ion-exchange membranes for electrochemical fuel cells. Description of the Related Art Electrochemical fuel cells convert reactants, namely fuel and oxidant streams, to generate electric power and reaction products. Electrochemical fuel cells generally employ an electrolyte disposed between two electrodes namely a cathode and an anode. An electrocatalyst is needed to induce the desired electrochemical reactions at the electrodes. In addition to electrocatalyst, the electrodes may also comprise an electrically conductive substrate upon which the electrocatalyst is deposited. The electrocatalyst may be a metal black (namely, a substantively pure, unsupported, finely divided metal or metal powder) an alloy or a supported metal catalyst, for example, platinum on carbon particles. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a type of electrochemical fuel cell which employs a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA"). The MEA comprises a solid polymer electrolyte or ion-exchange membrane disposed between the cathode and anode. The ion-exchange membranes of particular interest are those prepared from fluoropolymers and which contain pendant sulfonic acid functional groups and/or carboxylic acid functional groups. A typical perfluorosulfomc acid/PTFE copolymer membrane can be obtained from DuPont Inc under the trade designation Nation®. Each electrode contains a catalyst layer, comprising an appropriate catalyst, located 'next to the solid polymer electrolyte. The catalyst is typically a precious metal composition (e.g., platinum metal black or an alloy thereof) and may be provided on a suitable support (e.g., fine platinum particles supported on a carbon black support). The catalyst layers may also contain ionomer. The electrodes may also contain a porous, electrically conductive substrate that may be employed for purposes of mechanical support, electrical conduction, and/or reactant distribution, thus serving as a fluid diffusion layer. The MEA may be manufactured, for example, by bonding an anode fluid diffusion electrode, an ion-exchange membrane and a cathode fluid diffusion electrode together under the application of heat and pressure. Another method involves coating the catalyst layers directly onto an ion-exchange membrane to form a catalyst coated membrane and then bonding fluid diffusion layers thereon. Flow fields for directing reactants across one surface of each electrode or electrode substrate, are disposed on each side of the MEA. In operation, the output voltage of an individual fuel cell under load is generally below one volt. Therefore, in order to provide greater output voltage, numerous cells are usually stacked together and are connected in series to create a higher voltage fuel cell stack. During normal operation of a PEM fuel cell, fuel is electrochemically oxidized at the anode catalyst, typically resulting in the generation of protons, electrons, and possibly other species depending on the fuel employed. The protons are conducted from the reaction sites at which they are generated, through the ion-exchange membrane, to electrochemically react with the oxidant at the cathode exhaust. The electrons travel through an external circuit providing useable power and then react with the protons and oxidant at the cathode catalyst to generate water reaction product. A broad range of reactants can be used in PEM fuel cells and may be supplied in either gaseous or liquid form. For example, the oxidant stream may be substantially pure oxygen gas or a dilute oxygen stream such as air. The fuel may be, for example, substantially pure hydrogen gas, a gaseous hydrogen-containing reformate stream, or an aqueous liquid methanol mixture in a direct methanol fuel cell. For a PEM fuel cell to be used commercially in either stationary or transportation applications, a sufficient lifetime is necessary. For example, 5,000 hour or longer operations may be routinely required. One known failure mode that decreases lifetime relates to degradation of the ion-exchange membrane by, for example, reaction with reactive species such as hydrogen peroxide formed within the fuel cell environment. U.S. Patent No. 6,335,112, U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0008196, an Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-123777 , all disclose the use of various catalysts for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide species. These catalysts are dispersed in the ion-exchange membrane and/or in the cathode catalyst layer to improve lifetimes of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon based ion-exchange membranes. However, there remains a need in the art to understand the degradation of ion-exchange membranes within the fuel cell environment and to develop further improvements to mitigate or eliminate such degradation. The present invention helps fulfill this need and provides further related advantages. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An additive may be applied to an MEA to reduce membrane degradation. However, there may be unintended consequences by such an application of an additive to either the ion-exchange membrane or a catalyst layer. For example, a fuel cell may suffer a performance loss with the application of such all additive. However, it may not be necessary to apply the additive uniformly across the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the additive may instead be applied in a manner that mitigates against such unintended consequences. Accordingly, a membrane electrode assembly comprises an anode and a cathode fluid diffusion layer an ion-exchange membrane interposed between the anode and cathode fluid diffusion layers ; and an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer interposed between the ion- exchange membrane and the respective fluid diffusion layer; wherein at least one of the ion-exchange membrane, the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer non-uniformly supports at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the at least one ion-exchange membrane, cathode catalyst layer and anode catalyst layer, and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane electrode assembly more susceptible to membrane degradation. In some embodiments, such regions of increased susceptibility to membrane degradation are in the inlet and/or outlet regions of the MEA. In one embodiment, non-uniform support means that the loading of the additive varies across the x-y plane or, in another embodiment, that there are regions of the MEA with little or no additive present. For example, there may be less than 80% coverage of the additive in the x-y plane. In a more particular embodiment, there may be less than 50% or less than 25% coverage of tile additive in the x-y plane. For example, there may be between 10 and 25%, more particularly between 1 and 25% and even more particularly between 15 and 25% coverage of the additive in the x-y plane. Additive supported on the ion-exchange membrane means that the additive is either dispersed within the membrane or in a separate layer applied to the surface of the membrane. Similarly, additive supported on the anode or cathode catalyst layer may be either dispersed within the catalyst layer or in a separate layer applied to the catalyst layer. If the additive is in a separate layer on either the ion- exchange membrane or the catalyst layer, the layer may additionally comprise, for example, ionomer. In manufacturing an MEA, either an ion-exchange membrane can be interposed between two fluid diffusion electrodes or a catalyst-coated membrane can be bonded between two fluid diffusion layers. In an embodiment, a fluid diffusion electrode comprises a fluid diffusion layer and a catalyst layer which non-uniformly supports at least one additive. In another embodiment, an ion-exchange membrane non-uniformly supports at least one additive. As mentioned above, supports means that the additive is either dispersed within the ion-exchange membrane or in a separate layer on the surface of the ion-exchange membrane. If the additive is supported in a separate layer on the surface of the membrane, the separate layer may further comprise catalyst particles. In other words, in this further embodiment, the ion-exchange membrane is a catalyst- coated membrane and both the ion-exchange membrane and the catalyst layer supports the additive. The ion-exchange membrane supports the additive as it is in a separate layer on the surface thereof and the catalyst layer supports the additive as it is dispersed therein. Hydrogen peroxide is suspected to be the main cause of membrane degradation. As such, there are many different classes of compounds that can provide protective effects within the fuel cell environment. For example, the additive may be a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst, a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, or a composition thereof. Further, these classes of compounds are not necessarily distinct such that some compounds may belong in more than one class. Examples of radical scavengers include: hindered amines, hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols, BHT, phossphites, benzofuranones, salicylic acid, azulenyl nitrones and derivatives thereof, tocopherols, DMPO, cyclic and acyclic nytrones, gold-chitosan nanocomposites, ascorbic acid and Mn2+. Examples of membrane cross linkers include: multivalent cations such as Al3+, Mn2+, Mg2* and Zn2+ Examples of hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalysts include: organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complexes, oxide catalysts, mixed oxide catalysts, and phosphites. Further examples of hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalysts include: a salt, oxide or organometallic complex of Co, Fe, Cr,Mn, Cu,V, Ru, Pd, Ni, Mo, Sn and W. Examples of hydrogen peroxide stabilizers include stannic oxide, sodium aluminate, hydrous alumina, Zn2+ and sodium pyrophosphate or a precursor thereof. The invention provides an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, and wherein the ion-exchange membrane non-uniformly supports the additive, and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane, and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane electrode assembly more susceptible to membrane degradation. The invention also provides a fluid diffusion electrode comprising a fluid diffusion layer and a catalyst layer, the catalyst layer non-uniformly supporting at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the catalyst layer, and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the catalyst layer corresponding to regions of increased ion-exchange membrane susceptibility to degradation when the electrode is assembled in a membrane electrode assembly. These and other aspects of the invention wil 1 be evident upon reference to the attached figures and following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRWINGS Figure 1 is a graph illustrating the effect of Al(III), Mn(II) and Mn02 on the degradation rate of the ion-exchange membrane. Figure 2 is a graph illustrating the rate of ion-exchange membrane degradation as a function of the loading of Mn02 on the ion-exchange membrane. Figure 3 is a graph illustrating performance loss of a fuel cell as a function of the loading of Mn02 on the ion-exchange membrane. Figure 4 is a graph illustrating tile performance loss of a fuel cell as a function of the location of Mn02 or Mn(II). Figures 5a and 5b are scanning electron microscope images of an ion- exchange membrane undergoing degradation. Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the performance loss as a function of coverage of MnO2 on the ion-exchange membrane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Ion-exchange membranes degrade over time when subjected to the chemical environment found in a typical PEM fuel cell. In U.S. Patent No. 6,335,112, the use of anti-oxidants within the membrane was disclosed to protect hydrocarbon based membranes from hydrogen peroxide. Without being bound by theory, hydrogen peroxide is believed to form at the cathode from the partial reduction of oxygen in the presence of hydrogen ions as in reaction (1) below instead of the typical 4 electron reduction as in reaction (2): Hydrogen peroxide (including its radicals) is a highly reactive species that can damage and degrade components such as the ion-exchange membrane in a PEM fuel cell. Even though the '112 patent was limited to protecting hydrocarbon-based membranes, perfluormated membranes such as Nafion®, which are more robust than hydrocarbon- based membranes, may still suffer membrane degradation within the fuel cell environment. Figure 1 shows the degradation rate of Nafion® 112 during operation in a PEM fuel cell. The degradation rate was determined by measuring the cumulative oxidant outlet conductivity (µS) of the effluent at open circuit voltage and dividing by the time (hours) of operation. The greater the conductivity of the oxidant effluent indicates that more HF was formed and hence more membrane degradation occurred. For Nafion® 112, the degradation rate was determined to be 787 µS/hour. Even for a perfluormated membrane, significant membrane degradation is thus observed. A significant reduction in membrane degradation was observed when the membrane was doped with either A1(III) or Mn(II). For the A1(III) doped membrane, the degradation rate was reduced to 16 µS/hour and for the Mn(II) doped membrane, the degradation rate was 63 µS/hour. In other trials, a separate layer comprising MnO2 was coated on either the cathode or anode electrodes prior to bonding to the membrane to form an MEA. When a 0.16 mg/cm2 MnO2 layer was coated on the cathode electrode prior to bonding with the membrane, the subsequent membrane degradation rate was only 15 µS/hour. Similarly, when a 0.22 mg/cm2 MnO2 layer was coated on the anode electrode prior to bonding with the membrane, the subsequent membrane degradation rate was only 37 µS/hour. To summarize, Figure 1 illustrates that Nation® 112 undergoes significant membrane degradation under the operational conditions found in a PEM fuel cell and that Al(III), Mn(II) and MnO2 significantly reduces such degradation. Little effect is observed if the additive is doped in the membrane or in a separate layer adjacent to the membrane on either the anode or cathode side. Proposed mechanisms for Al(III), Mn(II) and MnO2 are discussed in greater detail below. In Figure 2, the loading of MnO2 as a separate layer coated on the cathode electrode prior to bonding with a Nafion® 112 membrane was varied from 0 mg/cm to 0.17 mg/cm and the subsequent degradation rate in uS/hour was then determined as discussed above in reference to Figure 1. Even with a loading as small as 0.02 mg/cm2, the rate of membrane degradation is significantly reduced as compared to baseline Nafion® 112 where no MnO2 is used. A trend is clearly observed such that the rate at which the membrane degrades decreases with increasing loadings of MnO2 on the membrane. Without being bound by theory, MnO2 may function as a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst through the following mechanism: In addition to MnO2, the US Patent No. 6,335,112 and US Patent Application No. 2003/0008196 disclose a large range of other metal oxide, metal salts and organometallic complexes or combinations thereof that have anti-oxidant behaviour. Many other anti-oxidants are known in the art and can be either catalytic or sacrificial. In particular, the additive may be a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst such as an organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complex, oxide catalysts, mixed oxide catalysts, and phosphites. Organic ligands suitable for the organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complexes include, for example, 1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetracetate (CyDTA), ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (ENTMP), gluconate, N,N'- bis(salicylidene)propylenediamine, porphoryns, phthalocyanines, phenanthroline, hydrazine, pyrocatechol-3,5-disulphonic acid disodium salt, triethylenetetraamine, shiff base macrocycles, and EDDA. Without being bound by theory, even though MnO2 is known to have anti-oxidant properties (see the '112 patent), MnO2 may be reduced in the fuel cell environment to Mn2+. In particular, Mn2+ may also act as a radical scavenger within the fuel cell environment. Other radical scavengers may include hindered amines, hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols, BHT, phosphites, benzofuranones, salicylic acid, azulenyl nitrones and derivatives thereof, tocopherols, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N- oxide (DMPO), cyclic and acyclic nitrones (for example, alpha-phenyl-N-tert- butylnitrone (PBN), pyridine-N-oxide-4-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN), ascorbic acid, gold-chitosan nanocomposites and dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) and quinones). Without being bound by theory, the general mechanism for a radical scavenger may be as follows: As shown in the reaction schemes (4)-(6) above, radical scavengers tend to be sacrificial though they may also be catalytic. Instead of decomposing hydrogen peroxide or scavenging radicals, an additive may stabilize the hydrogen peroxide such that it becomes electrochemically reduced, removed in the exhaust of the PEM fuel cell or otherwise disposed of before chemically degrading any membrane present. Examples of hydrogen peroxide stabilizers include: stannic oxide (SnO2.xH2O), sodium aluminate (NaAlOx), hydrous alumina (Al2O3.XH2O), Zn2+ and sodium pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7.10H2O) or a precursor thereof. A further beneficial mechanism of Mn2+ ions present in the fuel cell environment may be as a membrane cross-linker. Enhanced cross-linking within the ion-exchange membrane may result from the incorporation of, for example, a multivalent cation not known to produce radicals upon decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. In addition to Mn2+, examples of such multivalent cations include Al3+, Mg2+ and Zn2+. Such cations may increase the dimensional stability, the glass transition temperature and the thermal stability of the ion-exchange membrane. However, such cations may also change its water uptake, proton conductivity and water transference of the ion-exchange membrane which may in turn lead to reduced activity of the electrochemical fuel cell. Enhanced cross-linking of the ion-exchange membrane may have some desired and some undesired consequences. Multivalent cations can be introduced into the membrane electrode assembly as a metal salt, oxide or organometallic complex. As shown above with respect to Mn2+ , a single additive may reduce membrane degradation and enhance membrane stability through multiple mechanisms. Unfortunately, the performance of the fuel cell suffers in the presence of MnO2 as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates the fuel cell performance of a 5-cell stack. Example A was the baseline measurement with no MnO2 present in the MEA. Examples B through E had loadings of 0.02, 0.06, 0.10 and 0.17 mg/cm respectively on the cathode. Nafion® 112 was used as the membrane in all examples. Air stoichiometry was maintained at 1.8 and fuel stoichiometry was 1.5; temperature at the inlet was 70°C. The best performance was observed for the baseline MEA where no MnO2 was present. Even for example B with only a 0.02 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2, a significant drop in performance as measured by mean cell voltage at a current density of 1.0 A/cm2. Further, the results show that the drop in performance increases as you increase the loading from 0.02 to 0.17 mg/cm . In Figure 4, a similar 5 cell stack was run under similar conditions as under Figure 3. Example F is the baseline MEA where no Mn02 was present. For example G, a 0.17 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2 was coated on the cathode electrode prior to bonding with a Nafion® 112 membrane. For example H, a 0.22 mg/cm loading of MnO2 was coated on the anode electrode prior to bonding with a Nafion® 112 membrane. For example I, a Nafion® 112 membrane was doped with Mn(II) prior to bonding with conventional electrodes to form the MEA. As shown in Figure 3, a significant decrease in performance was observed with the incorporation of manganese into the membrane. However, there is little difference in performance whether the manganese is added as a layer of MnO2 on the cathode, as a layer of MnO2 on the anode or doped as Mn(II) in the membrane. Figures 5 a and 5b are scanning electron microscope images of a conventional membrane after operation and showing membrane degradation. In Figure 5 a, it can be clearly seen that membrane degradation results in thinning in discrete areas or divots in the membrane. In Figure 5b, the thinned membrane has led to a rupture which would allow high levels of gas to cross-over between the anode and cathode and result in fuel cell failure. Further, the divots were clustered at the inlet and outlet regions of the cathode. In other fuel cell architectures, the divots may occur in other regions of the MEA or in only one of the inlet and outlet regions. Without being bound by theory, the inlet and outlet regions in the present example may be more susceptible to membrane degradation as the water content of the membrane in these regions may be lower than in the rest of the cell. An additional cause for increased susceptibility to membrane degradation may be that these regions operate at a higher temperature than other regions of the membrane. In some cell designs, an air bleed when running on reformate gas may result in regions where hydrogen and oxygen gas mix and the existence of hot spots which may in turn lead to increased membrane degradation in these regions. Further, some cell designs may have regions that operate at higher temperatures near the coolant outlet which may be the same or different than the inlet and outlet regions of the cathode. Accordingly, additive only needs to be incorporated into the membrane or electrode in the regions susceptible to membrane thinning. In Figure 6, fuel cell performance was observed comparing the percent coverage of MnO2 on the cathode electrode. Example J shows the average performance of 15 baseline MEAs prepared and run as in Figure 1 above without any MnO2. Example K shows the average performance of 15 MEAs with a 0.2 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2 on the cathode electrode over 17% of the MEA surface (8.5% of the surface area of the MEA in the inlet region and 8.5% of the surface area of the MEA at the outlet region). Example L shows the average performance of 15 MEAs with a 0.2 mg/cm loading of MnO2 covering the entire cathode electrode. While there is still a reduction in performance as shown in example K, partial coverage of the MEA results in less of such a reduction in performance as compared to full coverage of the MEA. Further, significant improvements in fuel cell longevity may still be observed with only partial coverage of the MEA. A 30-cell stack, based on 15 conventional MEAs as described above for Figure 1 and 15 MEAs incorporating a 0.2 mg/cm loading of MnO2 at the cathode electrode covering 17% of the MEA, was tested. The results are shown below in Table 1 where 33% of the MEAs had failed due to a rupture in the membrane at 1400 hours and 100% had failed by 2000 hours. In comparison, none of the MEAs had failed after 3600 hours with only partial coverage of MnO2. Thus significant improvements in lifetime can still be observed with only partial coverage of the MEA with MnO2. For maximum benefit, an understanding of the areas of the MEA which are more susceptible to membrane degradation would be helpful. As mentioned above, regions of the MEA localized at the inlet and outlet were found to be more susceptible to membrane degradation. However, for other fuel cell architectures, different regions of the MEA may be more susceptible to membrane degradation. An SEM or even visual inspection of a conventional MEA operated to membrane failure can be used by a person of ordinary skill in the art to ascertain which regions are more susceptible to degradation. In an embodiment, the additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer is non-uniformly supported by at least one of the membrane, anode catalyst or cathode catalyst layer. Supported means that the additive may be dispersed within any or all of the membrane, anode catalyst or cathode catalyst layers or as a separate layer on the surface thereof. Even if placed as a separate layer on the surface, there may still be penetration in the z-direction into either the membrane or catalyst layer. Further, during operation of the fuel cell, the additive may migrate in either or both the x-y plane and z-direction. Non-uniform support may mean that an increased amount of additive is localized to certain regions of the membrane electrode assembly, for example those regions that are more susceptible to membrane degradation as in the examples discussed above. In a further embodiment, the non-uniform dispersion of the additive is in the x-y plane of any or all of the membrane, anode or cathode catalyst layers. For example, there may be less than 80% coverage in the x-y plane, more particularly less than 50% coverage and even more particularly less than 25% coverage in the x-y plane. Further, there may be more than 1% coverage, more particularly more than 10% coverage and even more particularly more than 15% coverage in the x-y plane. The additive may be localized within a region of increased membrane susceptibility to degradation, for example, in one or both of the inlet and outlet regions. Full coverage of the MEA may result in a significant performance reduction though may not be necessary to get sufficient lifetimes. In comparison, non- uniform coverage, particularly when localized to regions of increased susceptibility to membrane degradation, may result in less of a performance reduction while still maintaining significant lifetime improvements. Further, such non-uniform coverage may also result in a cost reduction as compared to full coverage of the MEA. EXAMPLES Nafion® 112 doped with Al(III) or Mn(II) Multivalent cations were ion-exchanged into the membrane by soaking the membrane in an aqueous solution of the appropriate cation overnight. Nafion® 112 membranes were used as received. Reagent grade Al2(SO4)3.xH2O (Aldrich) and MnSO4 (Aldrich) were used as appropriate without further purification. Solutions were prepared in deionized water with the amount of salt added calculated based on the percentage of sulfonic acid sites to be exchanged and taking into account the valency of the cation. A nominal equivalent weight value of 1050 g/mol for Nafion® 112 was used to calculate the moles of S03- sites available per gram of membrane. Membranes were then rinsed with deionized water and immersed in deionized water for several hours. This process was completed at least 3 times, after which the membranes were allowed to air dry overnight between Kimwipes before bonding into a membrane electrode assembly. Coating MnO2 on Cathode A pre-weighed vial was filled with 11 mL of 5% Nation® solution, alcoholic. 0.62 g of MnO2 (Aldrich) was added to the solution in order to obtain equal parts on a weight basis of MnO2 and Nation®. The vial containing MnO2 and Nafion® solution was then sonicated in an ultrasonic bath for approximately one hour, stopping occasionally to shake any sediment that appeared. Each vial of suspension was decanted into a spray gun and manually sprayed onto a conventional cathode. Deionized water was used to wash rinsings from the vial into the spray gun and then manually sprayed onto the cathode. Once dry, the cathode was weighed to determine the total spray loading (approx. 0.2 mg/cm ). As appropriate, the amount of MnO2 added to the 5% Nafion® solution, alcoholic was varied to obtain different MnO2 loadings. Similarly, a mask may have been applied to the cathode with the spray coating applied only to the inlet/outlet regions of the cathode. In such a case, the volume of Nafion® solution used and the amount of MnO2 added was varied accordingly to reflect the reduced area coated. As appropriate, the anode may have been coated instead of the cathode. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. We Claim : 1. An ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising : at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger; a membrane crosslinker; a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst; and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein the ion-exchange membrane non-uniformly supports the additive; and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane; and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane more susceptible to membrane degradation. 2. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is dispersed within the membrane. 3. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is in a layer on the surface of the membrane. 4. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layer on the surface of the membrane comprises catalyst particles. 5. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a radical scavenger selected from hindered amines, hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols, BHT, phosphites, benzofuranones, salicylic acid, azulenyl nitrones, tocopherols, DMPO, cyclic and acyclic nitrones, gold-chitosan nanocomposites, ascorbic acid and Mn2-. 6. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a membrane cross- linker comprising a multivalent cation. 7. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multivalent cation is selected from Al3+, Mn2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+. 8. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst selected from an organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complex, oxide catalysts, mixed oxide catalysts, and phosphites. 9. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer selected from stannic oxide, sodium aluminate, hydrous alumina, Zn2+ and sodium pyrophosphate. 10. A membrane electrode assembly comprising : - an anode and a cathode fluid diffusion layer ; - the ion-exchange membrane as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 interposed between the anode and cathode fluid diffusion layers ; and - an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer interposed between the ion-exchange membrane and the respective fluid diffusion layer. 11. A fuel cell stack comprising the membrane electrode assembly as claimed in claim 10. The present invention relates to an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger; a membrane crosslinker; a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst; and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein the ion-exchange membrane non- uniformly supports the additive; and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane; and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane more susceptible to membrane degradation.

Full Text

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ion-exchange membranes and more
particularly to ion-exchange membranes for electrochemical fuel cells.
Description of the Related Art
Electrochemical fuel cells convert reactants, namely fuel and oxidant
streams, to generate electric power and reaction products. Electrochemical fuel cells
generally employ an electrolyte disposed between two electrodes namely a cathode and
an anode. An electrocatalyst is needed to induce the desired electrochemical reactions
at the electrodes. In addition to electrocatalyst, the electrodes may also comprise an
electrically conductive substrate upon which the electrocatalyst is deposited. The
electrocatalyst may be a metal black (namely, a substantively pure, unsupported, finely
divided metal or metal powder) an alloy or a supported metal catalyst, for example,
platinum on carbon particles.
A proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a type of
electrochemical fuel cell which employs a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA").
The MEA comprises a solid polymer electrolyte or ion-exchange membrane disposed
between the cathode and anode. The ion-exchange membranes of particular interest are
those prepared from fluoropolymers and which contain pendant sulfonic acid functional
groups and/or carboxylic acid functional groups. A typical perfluorosulfomc acid/PTFE
copolymer membrane can be obtained from DuPont Inc under the trade designation
Nation®.
Each electrode contains a catalyst layer, comprising an appropriate
catalyst, located 'next to the solid polymer electrolyte. The catalyst is typically a
precious metal composition (e.g., platinum metal black or an alloy thereof) and may be
provided on a suitable support (e.g., fine platinum particles supported on a carbon black

support). The catalyst layers may also contain ionomer. The electrodes may also
contain a porous, electrically conductive substrate that may be employed for purposes of
mechanical support, electrical conduction, and/or reactant distribution, thus serving as a
fluid diffusion layer. The MEA may be manufactured, for example, by bonding an
anode fluid diffusion electrode, an ion-exchange membrane and a cathode fluid
diffusion electrode together under the application of heat and pressure. Another method
involves coating the catalyst layers directly onto an ion-exchange membrane to form a
catalyst coated membrane and then bonding fluid diffusion layers thereon.
Flow fields for directing reactants across one surface of each electrode or
electrode substrate, are disposed on each side of the MEA. In operation, the output
voltage of an individual fuel cell under load is generally below one volt. Therefore, in
order to provide greater output voltage, numerous cells are usually stacked together and
are connected in series to create a higher voltage fuel cell stack.
During normal operation of a PEM fuel cell, fuel is electrochemically
oxidized at the anode catalyst, typically resulting in the generation of protons, electrons,
and possibly other species depending on the fuel employed. The protons are conducted
from the reaction sites at which they are generated, through the ion-exchange
membrane, to electrochemically react with the oxidant at the cathode exhaust. The
electrons travel through an external circuit providing useable power and then react with
the protons and oxidant at the cathode catalyst to generate water reaction product.
A broad range of reactants can be used in PEM fuel cells and may be
supplied in either gaseous or liquid form. For example, the oxidant stream may be
substantially pure oxygen gas or a dilute oxygen stream such as air. The fuel may be,
for example, substantially pure hydrogen gas, a gaseous hydrogen-containing reformate
stream, or an aqueous liquid methanol mixture in a direct methanol fuel cell.
For a PEM fuel cell to be used commercially in either stationary or
transportation applications, a sufficient lifetime is necessary. For example, 5,000 hour
or longer operations may be routinely required. One known failure mode that decreases
lifetime relates to degradation of the ion-exchange membrane by, for example, reaction
with reactive species such as hydrogen peroxide formed within the fuel cell
environment. U.S. Patent No. 6,335,112, U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0008196,

an Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-123777 , all disclose the use of various catalysts for the
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide species. These catalysts are dispersed in the ion-exchange
membrane and/or in the cathode catalyst layer to improve lifetimes of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon
based ion-exchange membranes. However, there remains a need in the art to understand the degradation
of ion-exchange membranes within the fuel cell environment and to develop further improvements to
mitigate or eliminate such degradation. The present invention helps fulfill this need and provides further
related advantages.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An additive may be applied to an MEA to reduce membrane degradation. However, there may be
unintended consequences by such an application of an additive to either the ion-exchange membrane or
a catalyst layer. For example, a fuel cell may suffer a performance loss with the application of such all
additive. However, it may not be necessary to apply the additive uniformly across the membrane
electrode assembly (MEA) and the additive may instead be applied in a manner that mitigates against
such unintended consequences. Accordingly, a membrane electrode assembly comprises an anode and a
cathode fluid diffusion layer an ion-exchange membrane interposed between the anode and cathode fluid
diffusion layers ; and an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer interposed between the ion-
exchange membrane and the respective fluid diffusion layer; wherein at least one of the ion-exchange
membrane, the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer non-uniformly supports at least one
additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition
catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the
x-y plane of the at least one ion-exchange membrane, cathode catalyst layer and anode catalyst layer,
and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane electrode
assembly more susceptible to membrane degradation. In some embodiments, such regions of increased

susceptibility to membrane degradation are in the inlet and/or outlet regions of the MEA.
In one embodiment, non-uniform support means that the loading of the additive varies across the
x-y plane or, in another embodiment, that there are regions of the MEA with little or no additive present.
For example, there may be less than 80% coverage of the additive in the x-y plane. In a more particular
embodiment, there may be less than 50% or less than 25% coverage of tile additive in the x-y plane. For
example, there may be between 10 and 25%, more particularly between 1 and 25% and even more
particularly between 15 and 25% coverage of the additive in the x-y plane.
Additive supported on the ion-exchange membrane means that the additive is either dispersed
within the membrane or in a separate layer applied to the surface of the membrane. Similarly, additive
supported on the anode or cathode catalyst layer may be either dispersed within the catalyst layer or in a
separate layer applied to the catalyst layer. If the additive is in a separate layer on either the ion-
exchange membrane or the catalyst layer, the layer may additionally comprise, for example, ionomer.
In manufacturing an MEA, either an ion-exchange membrane can be interposed between two
fluid diffusion electrodes or a catalyst-coated membrane can be bonded between two fluid diffusion
layers. In an embodiment, a fluid diffusion electrode comprises a fluid diffusion layer and a catalyst
layer which non-uniformly supports at least one additive.
In another embodiment, an ion-exchange membrane non-uniformly supports at least one additive.
As mentioned above, supports means that the additive is either dispersed within the ion-exchange
membrane or in a separate layer on the surface of the ion-exchange membrane. If the additive is
supported in a separate layer on the surface of the membrane, the separate layer may further comprise
catalyst particles. In other words, in this further embodiment, the ion-exchange membrane is a catalyst-
coated membrane and both the ion-exchange membrane and the catalyst layer supports the additive. The
ion-exchange membrane supports the additive as it is in a separate layer on the surface thereof and the
catalyst layer supports the additive as it is dispersed therein.

Hydrogen peroxide is suspected to be the main cause of membrane degradation. As such, there
are many different classes of compounds that can provide protective effects within the fuel cell
environment. For example, the additive may be a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a
hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst, a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, or a composition thereof.
Further, these classes of compounds are not necessarily distinct such that some compounds may belong
in more than one class.
Examples of radical scavengers include: hindered amines, hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols,
BHT, phossphites, benzofuranones, salicylic acid, azulenyl nitrones and derivatives thereof,
tocopherols, DMPO, cyclic and acyclic nytrones, gold-chitosan nanocomposites, ascorbic acid and Mn2+.
Examples of membrane cross linkers include: multivalent cations such as Al3+, Mn2+, Mg2* and Zn2+
Examples of hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalysts include: organometallic Mn(II) or
Mn(III) complexes, oxide catalysts, mixed oxide catalysts, and phosphites. Further examples of
hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalysts include: a salt, oxide or organometallic complex of Co, Fe,
Cr,Mn, Cu,V, Ru, Pd, Ni, Mo, Sn and W. Examples of hydrogen peroxide stabilizers include stannic
oxide, sodium aluminate, hydrous alumina, Zn2+ and sodium pyrophosphate or a precursor thereof.
The invention provides an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising at
least one additive selected from a radical scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide
decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer, and wherein the ion-exchange membrane
non-uniformly supports the additive, and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y
plane of the membrane, and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the
membrane electrode assembly more susceptible to membrane degradation.
The invention also provides a fluid diffusion electrode comprising a fluid diffusion layer and a
catalyst layer, the catalyst layer non-uniformly supporting at least one additive selected from a radical
scavenger, a membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen
peroxide stabilizer, wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the catalyst
layer, and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the catalyst layer
corresponding to regions of increased ion-exchange membrane susceptibility to degradation when the

electrode is assembled in a membrane electrode assembly.
These and other aspects of the invention wil 1 be evident upon reference to the attached figures
and following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRWINGS
Figure 1 is a graph illustrating the effect of Al(III), Mn(II) and Mn02 on the degradation rate of
the ion-exchange membrane.
Figure 2 is a graph illustrating the rate of ion-exchange membrane degradation as a function of
the loading of Mn02 on the ion-exchange membrane.
Figure 3 is a graph illustrating performance loss of a fuel cell as a function of the loading of
Mn02 on the ion-exchange membrane.
Figure 4 is a graph illustrating tile performance loss of a fuel cell as a function of the location of
Mn02 or Mn(II).

Figures 5a and 5b are scanning electron microscope images of an ion-
exchange membrane undergoing degradation.
Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the performance loss as a function of
coverage of MnO2 on the ion-exchange membrane.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Ion-exchange membranes degrade over time when subjected to the
chemical environment found in a typical PEM fuel cell. In U.S. Patent No. 6,335,112,
the use of anti-oxidants within the membrane was disclosed to protect hydrocarbon
based membranes from hydrogen peroxide. Without being bound by theory, hydrogen
peroxide is believed to form at the cathode from the partial reduction of oxygen in the
presence of hydrogen ions as in reaction (1) below instead of the typical 4 electron
reduction as in reaction (2):

Hydrogen peroxide (including its radicals) is a highly reactive species that can damage
and degrade components such as the ion-exchange membrane in a PEM fuel cell. Even
though the '112 patent was limited to protecting hydrocarbon-based membranes,
perfluormated membranes such as Nafion®, which are more robust than hydrocarbon-
based membranes, may still suffer membrane degradation within the fuel cell
environment.
Figure 1 shows the degradation rate of Nafion® 112 during operation in
a PEM fuel cell. The degradation rate was determined by measuring the cumulative
oxidant outlet conductivity (µS) of the effluent at open circuit voltage and dividing by
the time (hours) of operation. The greater the conductivity of the oxidant effluent
indicates that more HF was formed and hence more membrane degradation occurred.
For Nafion® 112, the degradation rate was determined to be 787 µS/hour. Even for a
perfluormated membrane, significant membrane degradation is thus observed. A
significant reduction in membrane degradation was observed when the membrane was
doped with either A1(III) or Mn(II). For the A1(III) doped membrane, the degradation
rate was reduced to 16 µS/hour and for the Mn(II) doped membrane, the degradation

rate was 63 µS/hour. In other trials, a separate layer comprising MnO2 was coated on
either the cathode or anode electrodes prior to bonding to the membrane to form an
MEA. When a 0.16 mg/cm2 MnO2 layer was coated on the cathode electrode prior to
bonding with the membrane, the subsequent membrane degradation rate was only 15
µS/hour. Similarly, when a 0.22 mg/cm2 MnO2 layer was coated on the anode electrode
prior to bonding with the membrane, the subsequent membrane degradation rate was
only 37 µS/hour.
To summarize, Figure 1 illustrates that Nation® 112 undergoes
significant membrane degradation under the operational conditions found in a PEM fuel
cell and that Al(III), Mn(II) and MnO2 significantly reduces such degradation. Little
effect is observed if the additive is doped in the membrane or in a separate layer
adjacent to the membrane on either the anode or cathode side. Proposed mechanisms
for Al(III), Mn(II) and MnO2 are discussed in greater detail below.
In Figure 2, the loading of MnO2 as a separate layer coated on the
cathode electrode prior to bonding with a Nafion® 112 membrane was varied from 0
mg/cm to 0.17 mg/cm and the subsequent degradation rate in uS/hour was then
determined as discussed above in reference to Figure 1. Even with a loading as small as
0.02 mg/cm2, the rate of membrane degradation is significantly reduced as compared to
baseline Nafion® 112 where no MnO2 is used. A trend is clearly observed such that the
rate at which the membrane degrades decreases with increasing loadings of MnO2 on
the membrane.
Without being bound by theory, MnO2 may function as a hydrogen
peroxide decomposition catalyst through the following mechanism:

In addition to MnO2, the US Patent No. 6,335,112 and US Patent
Application No. 2003/0008196 disclose a large range of other metal oxide, metal salts
and organometallic complexes or combinations thereof that have anti-oxidant
behaviour. Many other anti-oxidants are known in the art and can be either catalytic or
sacrificial. In particular, the additive may be a hydrogen peroxide decomposition

catalyst such as an organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complex, oxide catalysts, mixed
oxide catalysts, and phosphites. Organic ligands suitable for the organometallic Mn(II)
or Mn(III) complexes include, for example, 1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetracetate
(CyDTA), ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (ENTMP), gluconate, N,N'-
bis(salicylidene)propylenediamine, porphoryns, phthalocyanines, phenanthroline,
hydrazine, pyrocatechol-3,5-disulphonic acid disodium salt, triethylenetetraamine, shiff
base macrocycles, and EDDA.
Without being bound by theory, even though MnO2 is known to have
anti-oxidant properties (see the '112 patent), MnO2 may be reduced in the fuel cell
environment to Mn2+. In particular, Mn2+ may also act as a radical scavenger within the
fuel cell environment. Other radical scavengers may include hindered amines,
hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols, BHT, phosphites, benzofuranones, salicylic acid,
azulenyl nitrones and derivatives thereof, tocopherols, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-
oxide (DMPO), cyclic and acyclic nitrones (for example, alpha-phenyl-N-tert-
butylnitrone (PBN), pyridine-N-oxide-4-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN), ascorbic acid,
gold-chitosan nanocomposites and dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) and quinones).
Without being bound by theory, the general mechanism for a radical
scavenger may be as follows:

As shown in the reaction schemes (4)-(6) above, radical scavengers tend to be sacrificial
though they may also be catalytic.
Instead of decomposing hydrogen peroxide or scavenging radicals, an
additive may stabilize the hydrogen peroxide such that it becomes electrochemically
reduced, removed in the exhaust of the PEM fuel cell or otherwise disposed of before
chemically degrading any membrane present. Examples of hydrogen peroxide
stabilizers include: stannic oxide (SnO2.xH2O), sodium aluminate (NaAlOx), hydrous
alumina (Al2O3.XH2O), Zn2+ and sodium pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7.10H2O) or a
precursor thereof.
A further beneficial mechanism of Mn2+ ions present in the fuel cell
environment may be as a membrane cross-linker. Enhanced cross-linking within the
ion-exchange membrane may result from the incorporation of, for example, a
multivalent cation not known to produce radicals upon decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide. In addition to Mn2+, examples of such multivalent cations include Al3+, Mg2+
and Zn2+. Such cations may increase the dimensional stability, the glass transition
temperature and the thermal stability of the ion-exchange membrane. However, such
cations may also change its water uptake, proton conductivity and water transference of
the ion-exchange membrane which may in turn lead to reduced activity of the
electrochemical fuel cell. Enhanced cross-linking of the ion-exchange membrane may
have some desired and some undesired consequences. Multivalent cations can be
introduced into the membrane electrode assembly as a metal salt, oxide or
organometallic complex.

As shown above with respect to Mn2+ , a single additive may reduce
membrane degradation and enhance membrane stability through multiple mechanisms.
Unfortunately, the performance of the fuel cell suffers in the presence of
MnO2 as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates the fuel cell performance of a 5-cell
stack. Example A was the baseline measurement with no MnO2 present in the MEA.
Examples B through E had loadings of 0.02, 0.06, 0.10 and 0.17 mg/cm respectively on
the cathode. Nafion® 112 was used as the membrane in all examples. Air
stoichiometry was maintained at 1.8 and fuel stoichiometry was 1.5; temperature at the
inlet was 70°C. The best performance was observed for the baseline MEA where no

MnO2 was present. Even for example B with only a 0.02 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2, a
significant drop in performance as measured by mean cell voltage at a current density of
1.0 A/cm2. Further, the results show that the drop in performance increases as you
increase the loading from 0.02 to 0.17 mg/cm .
In Figure 4, a similar 5 cell stack was run under similar conditions as
under Figure 3. Example F is the baseline MEA where no Mn02 was present. For
example G, a 0.17 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2 was coated on the cathode electrode prior
to bonding with a Nafion® 112 membrane. For example H, a 0.22 mg/cm loading of
MnO2 was coated on the anode electrode prior to bonding with a Nafion® 112
membrane. For example I, a Nafion® 112 membrane was doped with Mn(II) prior to
bonding with conventional electrodes to form the MEA. As shown in Figure 3, a
significant decrease in performance was observed with the incorporation of manganese
into the membrane. However, there is little difference in performance whether the
manganese is added as a layer of MnO2 on the cathode, as a layer of MnO2 on the anode
or doped as Mn(II) in the membrane.
Figures 5 a and 5b are scanning electron microscope images of a
conventional membrane after operation and showing membrane degradation. In Figure
5 a, it can be clearly seen that membrane degradation results in thinning in discrete areas
or divots in the membrane. In Figure 5b, the thinned membrane has led to a rupture
which would allow high levels of gas to cross-over between the anode and cathode and
result in fuel cell failure. Further, the divots were clustered at the inlet and outlet
regions of the cathode. In other fuel cell architectures, the divots may occur in other
regions of the MEA or in only one of the inlet and outlet regions. Without being bound
by theory, the inlet and outlet regions in the present example may be more susceptible to
membrane degradation as the water content of the membrane in these regions may be
lower than in the rest of the cell. An additional cause for increased susceptibility to
membrane degradation may be that these regions operate at a higher temperature than
other regions of the membrane. In some cell designs, an air bleed when running on
reformate gas may result in regions where hydrogen and oxygen gas mix and the
existence of hot spots which may in turn lead to increased membrane degradation in
these regions. Further, some cell designs may have regions that operate at higher

temperatures near the coolant outlet which may be the same or different than the inlet
and outlet regions of the cathode.
Accordingly, additive only needs to be incorporated into the membrane
or electrode in the regions susceptible to membrane thinning. In Figure 6, fuel cell
performance was observed comparing the percent coverage of MnO2 on the cathode
electrode. Example J shows the average performance of 15 baseline MEAs prepared
and run as in Figure 1 above without any MnO2. Example K shows the average
performance of 15 MEAs with a 0.2 mg/cm2 loading of MnO2 on the cathode electrode
over 17% of the MEA surface (8.5% of the surface area of the MEA in the inlet region
and 8.5% of the surface area of the MEA at the outlet region). Example L shows the
average performance of 15 MEAs with a 0.2 mg/cm loading of MnO2 covering the
entire cathode electrode. While there is still a reduction in performance as shown in
example K, partial coverage of the MEA results in less of such a reduction in
performance as compared to full coverage of the MEA.
Further, significant improvements in fuel cell longevity may still be
observed with only partial coverage of the MEA. A 30-cell stack, based on 15
conventional MEAs as described above for Figure 1 and 15 MEAs incorporating a 0.2
mg/cm loading of MnO2 at the cathode electrode covering 17% of the MEA, was
tested. The results are shown below in Table 1 where 33% of the MEAs had failed due
to a rupture in the membrane at 1400 hours and 100% had failed by 2000 hours. In
comparison, none of the MEAs had failed after 3600 hours with only partial coverage of
MnO2.

Thus significant improvements in lifetime can still be observed with only
partial coverage of the MEA with MnO2. For maximum benefit, an understanding of
the areas of the MEA which are more susceptible to membrane degradation would be
helpful. As mentioned above, regions of the MEA localized at the inlet and outlet were
found to be more susceptible to membrane degradation. However, for other fuel cell
architectures, different regions of the MEA may be more susceptible to membrane
degradation. An SEM or even visual inspection of a conventional MEA operated to
membrane failure can be used by a person of ordinary skill in the art to ascertain which
regions are more susceptible to degradation.
In an embodiment, the additive selected from a radical scavenger, a
membrane cross-linker, a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst and a hydrogen
peroxide stabilizer is non-uniformly supported by at least one of the membrane, anode
catalyst or cathode catalyst layer. Supported means that the additive may be dispersed
within any or all of the membrane, anode catalyst or cathode catalyst layers or as a
separate layer on the surface thereof. Even if placed as a separate layer on the surface,
there may still be penetration in the z-direction into either the membrane or catalyst
layer. Further, during operation of the fuel cell, the additive may migrate in either or
both the x-y plane and z-direction. Non-uniform support may mean that an increased
amount of additive is localized to certain regions of the membrane electrode assembly,

for example those regions that are more susceptible to membrane degradation as in the
examples discussed above.
In a further embodiment, the non-uniform dispersion of the additive is in
the x-y plane of any or all of the membrane, anode or cathode catalyst layers. For
example, there may be less than 80% coverage in the x-y plane, more particularly less
than 50% coverage and even more particularly less than 25% coverage in the x-y plane.
Further, there may be more than 1% coverage, more particularly more than 10%
coverage and even more particularly more than 15% coverage in the x-y plane. The
additive may be localized within a region of increased membrane susceptibility to
degradation, for example, in one or both of the inlet and outlet regions.
Full coverage of the MEA may result in a significant performance
reduction though may not be necessary to get sufficient lifetimes. In comparison, non-
uniform coverage, particularly when localized to regions of increased susceptibility to
membrane degradation, may result in less of a performance reduction while still
maintaining significant lifetime improvements. Further, such non-uniform coverage
may also result in a cost reduction as compared to full coverage of the MEA.
EXAMPLES
Nafion® 112 doped with Al(III) or Mn(II)
Multivalent cations were ion-exchanged into the membrane by soaking
the membrane in an aqueous solution of the appropriate cation overnight. Nafion® 112
membranes were used as received. Reagent grade Al2(SO4)3.xH2O (Aldrich) and
MnSO4 (Aldrich) were used as appropriate without further purification. Solutions were
prepared in deionized water with the amount of salt added calculated based on the
percentage of sulfonic acid sites to be exchanged and taking into account the valency of
the cation. A nominal equivalent weight value of 1050 g/mol for Nafion® 112 was
used to calculate the moles of S03- sites available per gram of membrane. Membranes
were then rinsed with deionized water and immersed in deionized water for several
hours. This process was completed at least 3 times, after which the membranes were

allowed to air dry overnight between Kimwipes before bonding into a membrane
electrode assembly.
Coating MnO2 on Cathode
A pre-weighed vial was filled with 11 mL of 5% Nation® solution,
alcoholic. 0.62 g of MnO2 (Aldrich) was added to the solution in order to obtain equal
parts on a weight basis of MnO2 and Nation®. The vial containing MnO2 and Nafion®
solution was then sonicated in an ultrasonic bath for approximately one hour, stopping
occasionally to shake any sediment that appeared. Each vial of suspension was
decanted into a spray gun and manually sprayed onto a conventional cathode.
Deionized water was used to wash rinsings from the vial into the spray gun and then
manually sprayed onto the cathode. Once dry, the cathode was weighed to determine
the total spray loading (approx. 0.2 mg/cm ).
As appropriate, the amount of MnO2 added to the 5% Nafion® solution,
alcoholic was varied to obtain different MnO2 loadings. Similarly, a mask may have
been applied to the cathode with the spray coating applied only to the inlet/outlet
regions of the cathode. In such a case, the volume of Nafion® solution used and the
amount of MnO2 added was varied accordingly to reflect the reduced area coated. As
appropriate, the anode may have been coated instead of the cathode.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific
embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,
various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

We Claim :
1. An ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising :
at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger;
a membrane crosslinker;
a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst; and
a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer;
wherein the ion-exchange membrane non-uniformly supports the additive; and
wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y plane of the membrane; and
wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the membrane more
susceptible to membrane degradation.
2. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is dispersed within the
membrane.
3. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is in a layer on the
surface of the membrane.
4. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layer on the surface of the
membrane comprises catalyst particles.
5. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a radical scavenger
selected from hindered amines, hydroxylamines, arylamines, phenols, BHT, phosphites,
benzofuranones, salicylic acid, azulenyl nitrones, tocopherols, DMPO, cyclic and acyclic nitrones,
gold-chitosan nanocomposites, ascorbic acid and Mn2-.
6. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a membrane cross-
linker comprising a multivalent cation.
7. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multivalent cation is selected
from Al3+, Mn2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+.

8. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a hydrogen peroxide
decomposition catalyst selected from an organometallic Mn(II) or Mn(III) complex, oxide catalysts,
mixed oxide catalysts, and phosphites.
9. The ion-exchange membrane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additive is a hydrogen peroxide
stabilizer selected from stannic oxide, sodium aluminate, hydrous alumina, Zn2+ and sodium
pyrophosphate.
10. A membrane electrode assembly comprising :

- an anode and a cathode fluid diffusion layer ;
- the ion-exchange membrane as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 interposed between the
anode and cathode fluid diffusion layers ; and
- an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer interposed between the ion-exchange
membrane and the respective fluid diffusion layer.
11. A fuel cell stack comprising the membrane electrode assembly as claimed in claim 10.

The present invention relates to an ion-exchange membrane for an electrochemical fuel cell comprising
at least one additive selected from a radical scavenger; a membrane crosslinker; a hydrogen peroxide
decomposition catalyst; and a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein the ion-exchange membrane non-
uniformly supports the additive; and wherein the non-uniform support of the additive is in the x-y
plane of the membrane; and wherein an increased loading of the additive is located in regions of the
membrane more susceptible to membrane degradation.

AN ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL FUEL CELL

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