High-Performance Graphene Coating on Titanium Bipolar Plates in Fuel Cells via Cathodic Electrophoretic Deposition

In this article, we proposed a facile method to electrophoretically deposit highly conductive and corrosion-resistant graphene layer on metal bipolar plates (BPs) while avoiding the oxidation of substrate during electrophoretic deposition (EPD). p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) was first grafted onto negatively charged oxide (GO) obtain modified (MGO) bearing positive charges. Then, MGO dispersed in ethanol coated titanium via cathodic EPD under constant voltage, followed by reducing deposited with H2 at 400 °C, gaining plate reduced (RMGO@Ti). Under simulated environment proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), RMGO@Ti presents corrosion current < 10−6 A·cm−2, approximately two orders magnitude lower than that bare titanium. Furthermore, interfacial contact resistance (ICR) is as low 4 mΩ·cm2, which about one-thirtieth Therefore, appears very promising for use BP PEMFCs.