Evaluating focused ion beam and ultramicrotome sample preparation for analytical microscopies of the cathode layer of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Optimizing the structure of the porous electrodes of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEM-FC) can improve device power and durability. Analytical microscopy techniques are important tools for measuring the electrode structure, thereby providing guidance for structural optimization. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), with either Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) or Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) analysis, and Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy (STXM) are complementary methods which, together, provide a powerful approach for PEM-FC electrode analysis. Both TEM and STXM require thin (50–200 nm) samples, which can be prepared either by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling or by embedding and ultramicrotomy. Here we compare TEM and STXM spectromicroscopy analysis of FIB and ultramicrotomy sample preparations of the same PEM-FC sample, with focus on how sample preparation affects the derived chemical composition and spatial distributions of carbon support and ionomer. The FIB lamella method, while avoiding pore-filling by embedding media, had significant problems. In particular, in the FIB sample the carbon support was extensively amorphized and the ionomer component suffered mass loss and structural damage. Although each sample preparation technique has a role to play in PEM-FC optimization studies, it is important to be aware of the limitations of each method.