Transmission Electron Microscopy of Polymer-Electrolyt-Membranes

Abstract

Fuel cells are one of the most important ways to reduce CO2 emissions from transport worldwide to improve and preserve the environment for the future. As part of the PEMLife project [1], research is being conducted into aged fuel cells in comparison with non-aged material, and various parameters of these cells are being characterised for use in technical and scientific predictions. Simulations are one of the most important tools in science and have become indispensable in research. To obtain accurate results from these simulations, empirically determined parameters must be found to feed these simulations. One of the most powerful tools for obtaining parameters on a micro- and nanometre basis is transmission electron microscopy (TEM) [2], [3]. Size parameters such as layer thickness, grain size, particle size, chemical composition (e.g. analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis), as well as information about the crystal structure (crystal lattice, phase, amorphous, crystalline or nanocrystalline structures) can be determined. Images for the preparation and TEM images are shown in Fig.1 and Fig. 2.