TiN/Pt composite coating on porous transport layers for enhanced proton exchange membrane water electrolysis performance

Abstract Under the high-potential, oxygen-rich, and acidic fluoride-containing operating conditions of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs), titanium-based porous transport layers (PTLs) tend to undergo passivation due to the formation of TiO x , resulting in an increase in cell voltage. In this study, a layered TiN— Pt composite coating design was developed, where titanium nitride (TiN) served as a transition layer and platinum (Pt) as a functional layer. This configuration achieves improved corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and electrolysis performance, while significantly reducing platinum loading. Under 60oC and ambient pressure, the single cell exhibited a performance of 1.892 V at a current density of 2.0 A cm 2 . The results provide a new strategy for PTL coating design in PEMWE systems.