Review of Conductive Polymer Coatings for Metallic Bipolar Plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Ziyang Niu, Xiaofen Wang, Yuanyuan Li, Zhuo He, Xu‐Feng Huang, Qian-Jun Deng, Fei Hu, Qiong Zhou
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have gained increasing interests as promising power sources due to their ability to convert hydrogen and oxygen directly into electricity with high efficiency and zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bipolar plates (BPs) are considered as a critical component of PEMFCs, serving to collect current, separate gases, distribute the flow field, and conduct heat. This paper reviews the technical status and advancements in BP materials, with special focus on strategies for enhancing interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and corrosion resistance through conductive polymer (CP) coatings. First, commonly used BP materials in PEMFCs are summarized. Then, the advantages and limitations of various coatings for metallic BPs are discussed. Finally, recent progress in CP coatings for metallic BPs, aimed at achieving high corrosion resistance and low ICR, is comprehensively reviewed.