Review of the proton exchange membranes for fuel cell applications

Recent development of polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells.

Nanotechnology is generating a lot of attention these days and therefore building great expectations not only in the academic community but also among investors, the governments, and industry. Its unique capability to fabricate new structures at atomic scale has already produced novel materials and devices with great potential applications in a wide number of fields. Among them, significant breakthroughs are especially required in the energy sector that will allow us to maintain our increasing appetite for energy, which increases both with the number of people that join the developed economies and with our demand per capita. This needs to be done in a way that includes the environment in the wealth production equation as we gather more evidences of the human impact on the climate, biodiversity and quality of the air, water and soil. This review article does not cover in detail all the specific contributions from nanotechnology to the various sustainable energies, but in a broader way, it collects the most recent advances of nanotechnology to sustainable energy production, storage and use. For this review paper, solar, hydrogen and new generation batteries and supercapacitors are described as the most significant examples of the contributions of nanotechnology in the energy sector. The aim of this review article is to present some significant contributions from many research groups who are mainly unconnected and are working from different viewpoints, to find solutions to one of the great challenges of our time, i.e., the production and use of energy, without compromising our environment, from one of the most exciting and multidisciplinary fields, nanotechnology.

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Nanotechnology for sustainable energy

The data on nanostructured materials used in the The data on nanostructured materials used in the design of low-temperature fuel cells is generalized. The design of low-temperature fuel cells is generalized. The factors responsible for the increase in conductivity of hybrid factors responsible for the increase in conductivity of hybrid membranes containing inorganic nanoparticles are ana- membranes containing inorganic nanoparticles are ana- lyzed. The approaches to enhancing the efficiency of plati- lyzed. The approaches to enhancing the efficiency of plati- num catalysts that provide transition from conventional num catalysts that provide transition from conventional systems to nanosized catalysts including 'core-shell' poly- systems to nanosized catalysts including 'core-shell' poly- metallic systems are discussed. The hypotheses that explain metallic systems are discussed. The hypotheses that explain the reasons for the enhanced stability of these catalysts with the reasons for the enhanced stability of these catalysts with respect to carbon monoxide impurity are considered. The respect to carbon monoxide impurity are considered. The bibliography includes 497 references bibliography includes 497 references..

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1070/RC2012v081n03ABEH004290/pdf

Nanostructured materials for low-temperature fuel cells†

Separation of CO2 from CH4 using polysulfone/polyimide silica nanocomposite membranes

Nanostructured sulfonated poly(aryl ether sulfone) (SPSU) membranes were made from SPSU/silica composites through the addition of amorphous, precipitated, and micronized silica particles (Tixosil 333) and short or segmented linear structures. Linear and branched segments of silica were obtained from the in situ reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in an SPSU solution through a sol-gel acid-catalyzed process. Different amounts of silica in the SPSU composites were prepared to evaluate their influence on the ionic conductivity, the water and alcohol solution sorption capacities, and the stability in an ethanol medium. The effect of silica (Tixosil) on the conductivity was higher than that of the silica made from TEOS in SPSU composites. The conductivities of the membranes containing 10% Tixosil and 6.6% silica prepared from TEOS were measured at 80°C; their values were 60 and 33 mS/cm, respectively. Furthermore, a membrane made of a silica blend (5% Tixosil and 3% TEOS) in SPSU attained a value of 92 mS/cm, whereas the commercial membrane Nafion 117, used as a reference, had a conductivity of 54 mS/cm measured under the same conditions. All those composites membranes could be used as components in hydrogen fuel cell. However, only the SPSU/2% Tixosil composite could be used in both hydrogen and ethanol direct fuel cells.

Nanostructured membranes based on sulfonated poly(aryl ether sulfone) and silica for fuel-cell applications

Polymer blend of sulfonated poly(oxy-1,4phenyleneoxy-1,4phenylenecarbonyl-1,4phenylene) (SPEEK) and poly(ether sulfone) (PES) was compounded with commercial and synthesized silica. PES phase had important role to improve the stability and to reduce permeability of sulfonated matrix to alcohol solution, but it also reduced the proton conductivity of membrane. The addition of synthesized silica, which had heteropolyacid phosphotungstic acid (HPW) occluded inside the silica matrix (SiO2 · HPW) was evaluated to improve the conductivity.

Nanocomposite Membranes Based on Sulfonated Poly(etheretherketone) Structured with Modified Silica for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell

Composite polymer membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPSU) containing benzimidazole derivatives (BIzD) and heteropolyacid for use in fuel cells were prepared. The effects of both the increment in BBIzD component and the procedure of mixing on the morphology and proton conductivity were investigated. The heteropolyacid (HPA) extracted in water decreased with the addition of BBIzD in the composite. The interactions developed among the sulfonate groups, the benzimidazole derivatives and the HPA were verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The network of interactions established in the composite membrane based on SPSU containing benzimidazole derivatives and phosphotungstic acid (HPW) in the ratio of SPSU/BBIzC 4 (8:1) in equivalents and SPSU/HPW(7:3) in mass resulted in a very high proton conductivity at no °C.

Ai Ren Tan

Papers

Nanostructured membranes based on sulfonated poly(aryl ether sulfone) and silica for fuel-cell applications

Nanocomposite Membranes Based on Sulfonated Poly(etheretherketone) Structured with Modified Silica for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell

Nanostructured Proton-Conducting Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications

The poisoning effects of Ti-ion from porous transport layers on the membrane electrode assembly of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers