Our latest study just dropped as a preprint on the SSRN server: Is Nitrogen Doping of Diamond-Like Carbon Films a Viable Strategy for Bipolar Plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells? 💡
In this work, we challenge the idea that nitrogen doping improves Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coatings. Using a combination of electrochemical testing, electron microscopy, and advanced spectroscopy techniques, we show that N-doping actually reduces corrosion resistance and increases interfacial contact resistance of DLC coatings when applied to aluminum alloy substrates. In contrast, undoped DLC films outperform and point toward a low-cost, lightweight strategy for next-gen PEMFC components.
These results could reshape how we think about coatings for hydrogen energy technology. While N-doping has been previously assumed as beneficial in some contexts, our findings highlight how microstructural defects and bonding states matter more than ever at the extremes of electrochemical performance. If you are working at the interface of coatings, energy, and sustainability, this is one to watch.
This work is part of our ongoing effort to promote aluminium alloys as viable, affordable candidates for bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. By moving away from high-cost, noble and heavy materials, we aim to help make hydrogen technologies more scalable, sustainable, lightweight, and accessible. With the right coatings and processing, aluminium alloys have the potential to play a key role in the clean energy transition — and we are just getting started!
Featured image credits: Toyota Motor Corporation.
Silva, Felipe and Prada-Ramirez, Oscar M. and Manso, A. and Österreicher, Johannes Albert and Rossino, Luciana Sgarbi and de Almeida, Larissa Solano and Sagás, Julio César and Consani, D. and Marzo, F.F. and Tunes, Matheus Araujo, Is Nitrogen Doping of Diamond-Like Carbon Films a Viable Strategy for Bipolar Plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells?. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5211698 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5211698
Materials at Extremes 