Improved durability of MEAs based on Aquivion® and radical scavenger for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

• Synthesized Pt/CeO₂ scavenger to neutralize radicals and increase fuel cell durability. • The "intermixed" method is most effective for adding scavenger to the catalyst layer. • Optimal scavenger loading in the cathodic catalyst layer was identified as 1.0 wt.%. • Achieved max power density of ∼950 mW/cm² at 80°C and 50% relative humidity. • ADT shows a 19% performance loss of MEA containing scavenger versus 35% for the reference system after 48 hours. Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are a promising technology for clean energy conversion, but their long-term performance is often limited by fuel crossover, electrode degradation, and reactive species formation. In this study, the incorporation of radical scavengers into the cathodic catalyst layer (CL) was investigated as a strategy to enhance PEFC durability and performance. Different incorporation methods were tested, and the optimal scavenger loading was determined (0.5–1.5 wt.%). Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) in Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM) configuration were electrochemically characterized in single-cell setups. Results show that the “intermixed” method—adding the scavenger directly to the catalyst ink—provides the most effective performance enhancement. The optimal loading of 1 wt.% resulted in a maximum power density of approximately 950 mW/cm² at 80 °C and 50% RH. Accelerated stress tests under open-circuit voltage conditions demonstrated significantly improved stability: at 0.5 A/cm², the scavenger-based MEA lost only 19% of its initial performance, compared to 35% for the reference MEA. These findings demonstrate that incorporating an optimized amount of radical scavenger into the cathodic CL effectively enhances both the performance and long-term durability of PEFCs.