ABSTRACT: This presentation will provide an overview of recent progress and remaining technical challenges of PEM fuel cells. The important contribution of catalyst materials and catalyst layer towards wide-spread commercialization of fuel cells will be highlighted. The advantage and possible limitations of various types of catalysts, such as Pt alloys (de-alloys), core-shell catalysts and shape-controlled nanocrystal catalysts will be assessed. As catalyst supports play an important role to improve performance and durability, the use of different carbon supports, including carbon blacks, carbon nanotubes and graphene (including, nitrogen-,and sulfur-doped carbon nanotubes and graphene) will be presented as well. Additional but significant challenges of catalyst scale up and catalyst layer design will be briefly discussed. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of potential future directions for PEMFC catalyst and catalyst layer research to help overcome the last remaining challenges of performance and durability and propel PEMFCs into the wider commercial market.
Bio-sketch
Dr. Siyu Ye received his B.Sc. in 1982 and his Ph. D. in 1988, both from Xiamen University. He was a Volkswagen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University Duisburg-Essen, Germany (1988-1991) and Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Québec at Montréal, Canada (1991-1993). From 1994 to 2000, he was a senior research scientist at the Hydro-Québec Research Institute, Canada. In 2000, Dr. Ye joined Ballard Power Systems as a senior research scientist. He was promoted to principal research scientist in 2002. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo, and the South China University of Technology.
Dr. Ye is recognized as a leading expert in electrocatalysis and electrocatalyst development for fuel cells. He has been instrumental in developing Ballard’s high performance, durable anode and cathode catalyst technology. Presently, Dr. Ye is leading Ballard’s next generation catalyst technology development as well as the management of a couple of Ballard’s research collaboration projects. He has more than twenty years of fuel cell experience with expertise in catalyst materials and electrode & MEA design. He is the most prolific inventor at Ballard. He has over 100 peer-reviewed papers, as well as many patents and patent applications. Dr. Ye is author or co-author of one book and several book chapters. He has been an invited speaker at many professional conferences. He has been a co-organizer and/or chair of technical symposiums and workshops in various technical society meetings, including the International Society of Electrochemistry, the Electrochemical Society, the Canadian Society of Chemistry, and the International Association for Green Energy, ECAT2014.