Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Lifetime Limitations: the Role of Electrocatalyst Degradation

Understand the role of cathode electrocatalyst • degradation in the long-term loss of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance, Establish dominant catalyst and electrode • degradation mechanisms, Identify key properties of catalysts and catalyst • supports that influence and determine their degradation rates, Quantify the effect of cell operating conditions, • load profiles, and type of electrocatalyst on the performance degradation, and Determine operating conditions and catalyst types/ • structures that will mitigate performance loss and allow PEMFC systems to achieve the DOE lifetime targets.