Polymer and Composite Membranes for Proton-Conducting, High-Temperature Fuel Cells: A Critical Review

Hydrogen Bond and Dipole-Dipole Interaction Enabling Ultrastable, Quick Responding, and Self-Healing Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are subject to mechanical degradation, such as microcracks and pinhole formation, under real-world fuel cell operating conditions, which leads to great issues in terms of device death and safety concerns. Therefore, PEMs with self-healing features are imperative but have rarely been used for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Here, a dimensionally stable and self-healing PEM is developed by tuning the hydrogen bond and dipole-dipole interactions between the mature perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) and a self-healing copolymer, which is specifically synthesized with hexafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA) and acrylic acid (AA). This hexafluorobutyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymer (HFBA-co-AA) is suggested as the key to improving the self-healing efficiency of the blended PFSA/HFBA-co-AA membrane. This PFSA/HFBA-co-AA membrane can recover 43.6% of the original tensile strength within only 20 min at 80 °C. This study may pave an avenue toward the development of reliable and durable PEM for fuel cells.

Unique Self-Phosphorylating Polybenzimidazole of the 6F Family for HT-PEM Fuel Cell Application

High-temperature polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are a very important type of fuel cells since they operate at 150-200 °C, making it possible to use hydrogen contaminated with CO. However, the need to improve the stability and other properties of gas-diffusion electrodes still impedes their distribution. Self-supporting anodes based on carbon nanofibers (CNF) are prepared using the electrospinning method from a polyacrylonitrile solution containing zirconium salt, followed by pyrolysis. After the deposition of Pt nanoparticles on the CNF surface, the composite anodes are obtained. A new self-phosphorylating polybenzimidazole of the 6F family is applied to the Pt/CNF surface to improve the triple-phase boundary, gas transport, and proton conductivity of the anode. This polymer coating ensures a continuous interface between the anode and proton-conducting membrane. The polymer is investigated using CO2 adsorption, TGA, DTA, FTIR, GPC, and gas permeability measurements. The anodes are studied using SEM, HAADF STEM, and CV. The operation of the membrane-electrode assembly in the H2/air HT-PEMFC shows that the application of the new PBI of the 6F family with good gas permeability as a coating for the CNF anodes results in an enhancement of HT-PEMFC performance, reaching 500 mW/cm2 at 1.3 A/cm2 (at 180 °C), compared with the previously studied PBI-O-PhT-P polymer.

Anhydrous Proton Conduction Through a Chemically Robust Electrolyte Enabling a High-Temperature Non-Precious Metal Catalyzed Fuel Cell

Fuel cells offer great promise for portable electricity generation, but their use is currently limited by their low durability, excessive operating temperatures, and expensive precious metal electrodes. It is therefore essential to develop fuel cell systems that can perform effectively using more robust electrolyte materials, at reasonable temperatures, with lower-cost electrodes. Recently, proton exchange membrane fuel cells have attracted attention due to their generally favorable chemical stability and quick start-up times. However, in most membrane materials, water is required for proton conduction, severely limiting operational temperatures. Here, for the first time it is demonstrated that when acidified, PAF-1 can conduct protons at high temperatures, via a unique framework diffusion mechanism. It shows that this acidified PAF-1 material can be pressed into pellets with high proton conduction properties even at high temperatures and pellet thickness, highlighting the processibility, and ease of use of this material. Furthermore, a fuel cell is shown with high power density output is possible using a non-precious metal copper electrode. Acid-doped PAF-1 therefore represents a significant step forward in the potential for a broad-purpose fuel cell due to it being cheap, robust, efficient, and easily processible.

Anhydrous proton conductor consisting of protamine-monododecyl phosphate composite with self-assembled structure

We prepared a protamine-monododecyl phosphate composite by mixing protamine (P) and a monododecyl phosphate (MDP). This P-MDP composite formed an acid-base complex by the electrostatic interaction between cationic protamine and the negatively charged phosphate group. Additionally, according to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the composite formed a self-assembled lamellar structure with an interaction between the long alkyl chains of MDP. As a result, the P-MDP composite showed the proton conductivity of 9.5 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 120-130 °C under anhydrous conditions. Furthermore, the activation energy of the proton conduction of the P-MDP composite was approximately 0.18 eV. These results suggested that the proton conduction of the P-MDP composite was based on an anhydrous proton conductive mechanism. In contrast, the anhydrous proton conduction of the P-methanediphosphonic acid (MP) composite, which did not form the self-assembled lamellar structure, was ca. 3 × 10-5 S cm-1 at 120-130 °C and this value was one order of magnitude lower than that of the P-MDP composite. Therefore, the two-dimensional self-assembled proton conductive pathway of the P-MDP composite plays a role in the anhydrous proton conduction.

A simple MOF constructed using Pb(II) with strong polarizing force: a filler of Nafion membrane to increase proton conductivity

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising competitive candidates as fillers for Nafion proton exchange membrane (PEM). Increasing efforts have been made to explore methods for synthesizing MOF fillers and the mechanism by which MOF doping improves the proton conductivity (σH+) values of composite membranes. In this study, a Pb(II) cation with strong polarizing force was selected for the hydrothermal reaction with a simple sulfoterephthalate ligand (H3L). Pb-MOF [Pb2L(OH)]n was obtained, which was constructed using Pb-O layers and deprotonated sulfoterephthalate L3- and exhibited good thermal and water stability. Different amounts of Pb-MOF particles were doped into Nafion to fabricate Pb-MOF/Nafion-x composite membranes, which were characterized using SEM, PXRD, IR spectroscopy, TGA, and other methods. It was found that doping Pb-MOF can apparently improve the water absorbability and thermal stability of the composite membrane. The σH+ of the Pb-MOF/Nafion-7 composite membrane was the highest and 2.14 times that of the pure Nafion membrane at 353 K. The higher proton conduction properties may be explained by the strong polarization force, and Pb(II) cations on the surface of Pb-MOF can decrease the bond energy of the O-H bond of absorbed water molecules and increase the acidity of the composite membrane. The phenomena in this study and our previous study confirm that acidity is the most important factor in favor of proton conductivity.

In Silico Demonstration of Fast Anhydrous Proton Conduction on Graphanol

Development of new materials capable of conducting protons in the absence of water is crucial for improving the performance, reducing the cost, and extending the operating conditions for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. We present detailed atomistic simulations showing that graphanol (hydroxylated graphane) will conduct protons anhydrously with very low diffusion barriers. We developed a deep learning potential (DP) for graphanol that has near-density functional theory accuracy but requires a very small fraction of the computational cost. We used our DP to calculate proton self-diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature, to estimate the overall barrier to proton diffusion, and to characterize the impact of thermal fluctuations as a function of system size. We propose and test a detailed mechanism for proton conduction on the surface of graphanol. We show that protons can rapidly hop along Grotthuss chains containing several hydroxyl groups aligned such that hydrogen bonds allow for conduction of protons forward and backward along the chain without hydroxyl group rotation. Long-range proton transport only takes place as new Grotthuss chains are formed by rotation of one or more hydroxyl groups in the chain. Thus, the overall diffusion barrier consists of a convolution of the intrinsic proton hopping barrier and the intrinsic hydroxyl rotation barrier. Our results provide a set of design rules for developing new anhydrous proton conducting membranes with even lower diffusion barriers.

Proton-Conducting Polymer-Coated Carbon Nanofiber Mats for Pt-Anodes of High-Temperature Polymer-Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

High-temperature polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEM FC) are a very important type of fuel cell since they operate at 150-200 °C, allowing the use of hydrogen contaminated with CO. However, the need to improve stability and other properties of gas diffusion electrodes still hinders their distribution. Anodes based on a mat (self-supporting entire non-woven nanofiber material) of carbon nanofibers (CNF) were prepared by the electrospinning method from a polyacrylonitrile solution followed by thermal stabilization and pyrolysis of the mat. To improve their proton conductivity, Zr salt was introduced into the electrospinning solution. As a result, after subsequent deposition of Pt-nanoparticles, Zr-containing composite anodes were obtained. To improve the proton conductivity of the nanofiber surface of the composite anode and reach HT-PEMFC better performance, dilute solutions of Nafion^®, a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) and N-ethyl phosphonated polybenzimidazole (PBI-OPhT-P) were used to coat the CNF surface for the first time. These anodes were studied by electron microscopy and tested in membrane-electrode assembly for H₂/air HT-PEMFC. The use of CNF anodes coated with PBI-OPhT-P has been shown to improve the HT-PEMFC performance.

Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices

The appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the design of a simple, safe, and reproducible procedure to prepare self-assembling GO/PBI composite membranes characterized by GO-to-PBI (X:Y) mass ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. SEM and XRD suggested a homogenous reciprocal dispersion of GO and PBI, which established an alternated stacked structure by mutual π-π interactions among the benzimidazole rings of PBI and the aromatic domains of GO. TGA indicated a remarkable thermal stability of the composites. From mechanical tests, improved tensile strengths but worsened maximum strains were observed with respect to pure PBI. The preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the GO/PBI X:Y composites as proton exchange membranes was executed via IEC determination and EIS. GO/PBI 2:1 (IEC: 0.42 meq g^-1; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0464 S cm^-1) and GO/PBI 3:1 (IEC: 0.80 meq g^-1; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0451 S cm^-1) provided equivalent or superior performances with respect to similar PBI-based state-of-the-art materials.

Construction of Highly Conductive Cross-Linked Polybenzimidazole-Based Networks for High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are of great interest to researchers in industry and academia because of their wide range of applications. This review lists some creative cross-linked polybenzimidazole-based membranes that have been prepared in recent years. Based on the investigation into their chemical structure, the properties of cross-linked polybenzimidazole-based membranes and the prospect of their future applications are discussed. The focus is on the construction of cross-linked structure of various types of polybenzimidazole-based membranes and their effect on proton conductivity. This review expresses the outlook and good expectation of the future direction of cross-linked polybenzimidazole membranes.

Proton-Conducting Polymeric Membranes Based on 1,2,4-Triazole

In this review, a comparative analysis of the literature and our own results obtained in the study of the physicochemical, dielectric, and proton-conducting properties of composite polymer materials based on 1H-1,2,4-triazole has been carried out. It has been established that 1H-1,2,4-triazole and homopolymers and copolymers of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole are promising for the development of proton-conducting fuel cell membranes. They significantly improve the basic characteristics of electrolyte membranes, increase their film-forming ability, increase thermal stability up to 300-330 °C, increase the electrochemical stability region up to 3-4 V, promote high mechanical strength and morphological stability of membranes, and provide high ionic conductivity (up to 10^-3-10^-1 S/cm) under anhydrous conditions at temperatures above 100 °C. There is also an improvement in the solubility and a decrease in the glass transition temperature of polymers based on 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole, which facilitates the processing and formation of membrane films. The results obtained demonstrate the uniqueness of 1H-1,2,4-triazole and (co)polymers based on 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole and the promise of their use for the creation of heat-resistant plastic and electrochemically stable, mechanically strong proton-conducting membranes with high ionic conductivity under anhydrous conditions and at high temperatures.

Composite Proton-Conducting Membrane with Enhanced Phosphoric Acid Doping of Basic Films Radiochemically Grafted with Binary Vinyl Heterocyclic Monomer Mixtures

A composite proton conducting membrane (PCM) was prepared by radiation-induced grafting (RIG) of binary mixtures of 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP) and 1-vinylimidazole (1-VIm) onto poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) film followed by phosphoric acid (PA) doping. The grafting parameters such as absorbed dose, temperature, monomer concentration, time, and monomer ratio were varied to control the degree of grafting (DG%). The effect of the reactivity ratio of 4-VP and 1-VIm on the composition and degree of monomer unit alternation in the formed graft copolymer was investigated. The changes in the chemical and physical properties endowed by grafting and subsequent PA acid doping were monitored using analytical instruments. The mechanical properties and proton conductivity of the obtained membrane were evaluated and its performance was tested in H₂/O₂ fuel cell at 120 °C under anhydrous and partially wet conditions. The acid doping level was affected by the treatment parameters and enhanced by increasing DG. The proton conductivity was boosted by incorporating the combination of pyridine and imidazole rings originating from the formed basic graft copolymer of 4-VP/1-VIm dominated by 4-VP units in the structure. The proton conductivity showed a strong dependence on the temperature. The membrane demonstrated superior properties compared to its counterpart obtained by grafting 4-VP alone. The membrane also showed a strong potential for application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) operating at 120 °C.

Influence of sulfonated SBA - 15 on fuel cell performance of sulfonated polysulfone electrolyte membranes

The prepared mesoporous SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous-15) was sulfonated and used as filler for the preparation of sulfonated polysulfone based composite electrolyte membranes. The SBA-15 and polysulfone were sulfonated using 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane and trimethylsilyl chlorosulfonate, respectively. The different weight percentages (1, 3, and 5 wt%) of sulfonated SBA-15 (SSBA-15) were used to prepare composite electrolyte membranes. Water uptake, ion exchange capacity, swelling ratio and proton conductivity of the composite membranes were studied for assessing the suitability of the electrolyte membranes for use in fuel cells. Characterization techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and Brunauer–Emmett– Teller were used to study the physico-chemical properties of the electrolyte membranes. TEM and BET analysis showed that SBA -15 retained its mesoporous structure even after sulfonation process. The prepared membranes were then tested in an in-house built single-cell fuel cell using hydrogen as fuel and oxygen as the oxidant. The fuel cell study showed that the presence of Sulfonated SBA-15 in the polymer matrix provided additional ion exchange sites and retained water for proton transfer which resulted in higher power density of 815 mW/cm2 with SPSU + 3% SSBA-15 membrane as compared with Nafion 117®.

Cardo Polybenzimidazole (PBI-O-PhT) Based Membrane Reinforced with m-polybenzimidazole Electrospun Nanofiber Mat for HT-PEM Fuel Cell Applications

The further development of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cells largely depends on the improvement of all components of the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), especially membranes and electrodes. To improve the membrane characteristics, the cardo-polybenzimidazole (PBI-O-PhT)-based polymer electrolyte complex doped with phosphoric acid is reinforced using an electrospun m-PBI mat. As a result, the PBI-O-PhT/es-m-PBI_net · nH₃PO₄ reinforced membrane is obtained with hydrogen crossover values (~0.2 mA cm^-2 atm^-1), one order of magnitude lower than the one of the initial PBI-O-PhT membrane (~3 mA cm^-2 atm^-1) during HT-PEM fuel cell operation with Celtec^®P1000 electrodes at 180 °C. Just as importantly, the reinforced membrane resistance was very close to the original one (65-75 mΩ cm² compared to ~60 mΩ cm²). A stress test that consisted of 20 start-stops, which included cooling to the room temperature and heating back to 180 °C, was applied to the MEAs with the reinforced membrane. More stable operation for the HT-PEM fuel cell was shown when the Celtec^®P1000 cathode (based on carbon black) was replaced with the carbon nanofiber cathode (based on the pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile electrospun nanofiber mat). The obtained data confirm the enhanced characteristics of the PBI-O-PhT/es-m-PBI_net · nH₃PO₄ reinforced membrane.

Deposition of Pt Nanoparticles by Ascorbic Acid on Composite Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Nanofiber for HT-PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes

The efficient use of renewable energy sources requires development of new electrocatalytic materials for electrochemical energy storage systems, particularly fuel cells. To increase durability of high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEMFC), Pt/carbon black based catalysts should be replaced by more durable ones, for example Pt/carbon nanofibers (CNF). Here, we report for the first time the quantitative ascorbic acid assisted deposition of Pt onto electrospun polyacrylonitrile-based CNF composite materials. The effect of their subsequent post-treatment at various temperatures (250 and 500 °C) and media (vacuum or argon-hydrogen mixture) on the Pt/C catalyst morphology is investigated. All obtained samples are thoroughly studied by high resolution electron microscopy, and Pt electrochemically active specific surface area was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry.

Speciation and Proton Conductivity of Phosphoric Acid Confined in Mesoporous Silica

Phosphoric acid (PA) confined in a commercial mesoporous silica (CARIACT G) with porous size in the range of 3 to 10 nm was studied in relation to its coordination with the silanol groups on the silica surface as a function of temperature, up to 180 °C, using 31P and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy. As the temperature increases, the coordination of Si and P in the mesopores depends on the pore size, that is, on the area/volume ratio of the silica matrix. In the mesoporous silica with the higher pore size (10 nm), a considerable fraction of PA is nonbonded to the silanol groups on the surface, and it seems to be responsible for its higher conductivity at temperatures above 120 °C as compared to the samples with a smaller pore size. The electrical conductivity of the functionalized mesoporous silica was higher than that reported for other silico-phosphoric composites synthesized by sol-gel methods using soft templates, which require high-temperature calcination and high-cost reagents and are close to that of the best PA-doped polybenzimidazole membranes used in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). The rate of PA release from the mesoporous silica matrix when the system is exposed to water has been measured, and it was found to be strongly dependent on the pore size. The low cost and simplicity of the PA-functionalized mesoporous silica preparation method makes this material a promising candidate to be used as an electrolyte in HT-PEMFCs.

Characterization and Modeling of Free Volume and Ionic Conduction in Multiblock Copolymer Proton Exchange Membranes

Free volume plays a key role on transport in proton exchange membranes (PEMs), including ionic conduction, species permeation, and diffusion. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to characterize the pore size distribution and ionic conductivity of synthesized PEMs from polysulfone/polyphenylsulfone multiblock copolymers with different degrees of sulfonation (SPES). The experimental data are combined with a bundle-of-tubes model at the cluster-network scale to examine water uptake and proton conduction. The results show that the free pore size changes little with temperature in agreement with the good thermo-mechanical properties of SPES. However, the free volume is significantly lower than that of Nafion®, leading to lower ionic conductivity. This is explained by the reduction of the bulk space available for proton transfer where the activation free energy is lower, as well as an increase in the tortuosity of the ionic network.

Dielectric Properties in Oriented and Unoriented Membranes Based on Poly(Epichlorohydrin-co-Ethylene Oxide) Copolymers: Part III

The dielectric spectra and conductivity properties of neat poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide)(PECH-co-EO) copolymer and two modified copolymers with a 20% or 40% of dendron 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy] benzoate units were analysed. A process of thermal orientation was applied to the copolymers to fine-tune the molecular motion of the side chains and determine their validity for cation transport materials. The study was conducted using Dielectric Thermal Analysis (DETA). The spectra of the modified unoriented and oriented copolymers consisted of five dielectric relaxations (δ, γ, β, αTg, and αmelting). The analysis of the relaxations processes shows that as the grafting with the dendron units increases, both the lateral and main chains have a greater difficulty moving. The thermal orientation induces in the main chain partial crystallization, including the polyether segments, and modifies the cooperative motion of the main chain associated with the glass transition (αTg). A deep analysis of the electrical loss modulus revealed that the degree of modification only modifies the temperature peak of each relaxation, and this effect is more perceived if the dendron unit content is higher (40%). The thermal orientation process seems equal to the spectra of CP20-O and CP40-O to the point that the degree of modification does not matter. Nevertheless, the fragility index denotes the differences in the molecular motion between both copolymers (40% and 20%) due to the thermal orientation. The study of the electric conductivity showed that the ideal long-range pathways were being altered by neither the thermal orientation process nor the addition of dendrimers. The analysis of the through-plane proton conductivity confirmed that the oriented copolymer with the highest concentration of dendrimers was the best performer and the most suitable copolymer for proton transport materials.

Hydrogen production via aqueous-phase reforming for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells - a review

Aqueous-phase reforming (APR) can convert methanol and other oxygenated hydrocarbons to hydrogen and carbon dioxide at lower temperatures when compared with the corresponding gas phase process. APR favours the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction and inhibits alkane formation; moreover, it is a simpler and more energy efficient process compared to gas-phase steam reforming. For example, Pt-based catalysts supported on alumina are typically selected for methanol APR, due to their high activity at temperatures of circa 200°C. However, non-noble catalysts such as nickel (Ni) supported on metal-oxides or zeolites are being investigated with promising results in terms of catalytic activity and stability. The development of APR kinetic models and reactor designs is also being addressed to make APR a more attractive process for producing in situ hydrogen. This can also lead to the possibility of APR integration with high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The integration can result into increased overall system efficiency and avoiding critical issues faced in the state-of-the-art fuel cells integrated with methanol steam reforming.

Impacts of Separator Thickness on Temperature Distribution and Power Generation Characteristics of a Single PEMFC Operated at Higher Temperature of 363 and 373 K

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the separator thickness on not only the heat and mass transfer characteristics, but also the power generation characteristics of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a thin polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and thin gas diffusion layer (GDL) operated at higher temperatures of 363 and 373 K. The in-plane temperature distributions on the back of the separator at the anode and cathode, which are the opposite sides to the GDL, are measured using a thermograph at various initial cell temperatures (Tinit), relative humidity (RH) levels, and supply gas flow rates. The total voltage corresponding to the load current is measured in order to evaluate the performance of the PEMFC. As a result, it is revealed that the effect of the RH on the power generation characteristics is more significant when the separator thickness decreases. It is revealed that the power generation performance obtained at high current densities decreases with the increase in Tinit with thinner separator thicknesses. According to the investigation of the in-plane temperature distribution, it is clarified that the temperature decreases at corner positions in the separator with the separator thickness of 2.0 mm, while the temperature gradually increases along with the gas flow with separator thicknesses of 1.5 mm and 1.0 mm.

Performance of Quaternized Polybenzimidazole-Cross-Linked Poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) Membranes in HT-PEMFCs

High-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are mostly based on acid-doped membranes composed of polybenzimidazole (PBI). A severe drawback of acid-doped membranes is the deterioration of mechanical properties upon increasing acid-doping levels. Cross-linking of different polymers is a way to mitigate stability issues. In this study, a new ion-pair-coordinated membrane (IPM) system with quaternary ammonium groups for the application in HT-PEMFCs is introduced. PBI cross-linked with poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and quaternized with three amines (DABCO, quinuclidine, and quinuclidinol) are manufactured and compared to the state-of-the-art commercial Dapazol PBI membrane ex situ as well as by evaluating their HT-PEMFC performance. The IPMs show reduced swelling and better mechanical properties upon doping, which enables a reduction in membrane thickness while maintaining a comparably low gas crossover and mechanical stability. The HT-PEMFC based on the best-performing IPM reaches up to 530 mW cm^-2 at 180 °C under H₂/air conditions at ambient pressure, while Dapazol is limited to less than 430 mW cm^-2 at equal parameters. This new IPM system requires less acid doping than conventional PBI membranes while outperforming conventional PBI membranes, which renders these new membranes promising candidates for application in HT-PEMFCs.

Effect of Direct Fluorination on the Transport Properties and Swelling of Polymeric Materials: A Review

Fluorine-containing polymers occupy a peculiar niche among conventional polymers due to the unique combination of physicochemical properties. Direct surface fluorination of the polymeric materials is one of the approaches for the introduction of fluorine into the chemical structure that allows one to implement advantages of fluorinated polymers in a thin layer. Current review considers the influence of the surface interaction of the polymeric materials and membranes with elemental fluorine on gas, vapor and liquid transport as well as swelling and related phenomena. The increase in direct fluorination duration and concentration of fluorine in the fluorination mixture is shown to result mostly in a reduction of all penetrants permeability to a different extent, whereas selectivity of the selected gas pairs (He-H₂, H₂-CH₄, He-CH₄, CO₂-CH₄, O₂-N₂, etc.) increases. Separation parameters for the treated polymeric films approach Robeson's upper bounds or overcome them. The most promising results were obtained for highly permeable polymer, polytrimethylsilylpropyne (PTMSP). The surface fluorination of rubbers in printing equipment leads to an improved chemical resistance of the materials towards organic solvents, moisturizing solutions and reduce diffusion of plasticizers, photosensitizers and other components of the polymeric blends. The direct fluorination technique can be also considered one of the approaches of fabrication of fuel cell membranes from non-fluorinated polymeric precursors that improves their methanol permeability, proton conductivity and oxidative stability.

Recent Trends and Developments in Conducting Polymer Nanocomposites for Multifunctional Applications

Electrically-conducting polymers (CPs) were first developed as a revolutionary class of organic compounds that possess optical and electrical properties comparable to that of metals as well as inorganic semiconductors and display the commendable properties correlated with traditional polymers, like the ease of manufacture along with resilience in processing. Polymer nanocomposites are designed and manufactured to ensure excellent promising properties for anti-static (electrically conducting), anti-corrosion, actuators, sensors, shape memory alloys, biomedical, flexible electronics, solar cells, fuel cells, supercapacitors, LEDs, and adhesive applications with desired-appealing and cost-effective, functional surface coatings. The distinctive properties of nanocomposite materials involve significantly improved mechanical characteristics, barrier-properties, weight-reduction, and increased, long-lasting performance in terms of heat, wear, and scratch-resistant. Constraint in availability of power due to continuous depletion in the reservoirs of fossil fuels has affected the performance and functioning of electronic and energy storage appliances. For such reasons, efforts to modify the performance of such appliances are under way through blending design engineering with organic electronics. Unlike conventional inorganic semiconductors, organic electronic materials are developed from conducting polymers (CPs), dyes and charge transfer complexes. However, the conductive polymers are perhaps more bio-compatible rather than conventional metals or semi-conductive materials. Such characteristics make it more fascinating for bio-engineering investigators to conduct research on polymers possessing antistatic properties for various applications. An extensive overview of different techniques of synthesis and the applications of polymer bio-nanocomposites in various fields of sensors, actuators, shape memory polymers, flexible electronics, optical limiting, electrical properties (batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, supercapacitors, LEDs), corrosion-protection and biomedical application are well-summarized from the findings all across the world in more than 150 references, exclusively from the past four years. This paper also presents recent advancements in composites of rare-earth oxides based on conducting polymer composites. Across a variety of biological and medical applications, the fact that numerous tissues were receptive to electric fields and stimuli made CPs more enticing.

In Situ Aliovalent Nickle Substitution and Acidic Modification of Nanowalls Promoted Proton Conductivity in InOF with 1D Helical Channel

Proton-conductive materials have attracted increasing attention because of their broad explorations in chemical sensors, water electrolysis, fuel cells, and biological systems. Especially, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been demonstrated to be extremely promising candidates as proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Compared with other configurations, MOFs with one-dimensional (1D) channels have the characteristics of enhancing the host-guest interaction and promoting the anisotropic motion of proton carriers in restricted volume, which are beneficial for acquiring rich proton sources and forming successive hydrogen bonds to improve proton conductivity. We are endeavored to screen and find a helical three-dimensional (3D) framework InOF-1, namely, [In₂(OH)₂(BPTC)]·6H₂O (BPTC^4- = 3,3',5,5'-biphenyl tetracarboxylate), as a typical 1D-channel MOF, which is pristinely grafted with spirally distributed -OH groups on the channel surface. Accompanied by an aliovalent substitution Ni(II) for In(III), isostructural NiOF-1 ([Ni₂(BPTC)(HCOOH)₂]·3H₂O) is successfully prepared and massive formic acids are anchored at interior walls, which are interacted with adsorbed water molecules via the formation of stronger O-H···O bonds. This interaction between host-guest molecules and dynamics of lattice water has already led to a remarkable conductivity of InOF-1 (σ = 7.86 × 10^-3 S/cm at 328 K under 95% RH). The synergistic effect of the acidic-modified nanowall, contracted volume, and enhanced adsorption of water molecules in the NiOF-1 channel contributes to a high conductivity value of 3.41 × 10^-2 S/cm (at 328 K under 95% RH). Moreover, the proton conduction mechanism is further visually presented by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. In contrast to InOF-1, aliovalent-substituted and acidic-modified NiOF-1 has a stronger host-guest interaction and more abundant hydrogen-bond networks, resulting in shorter proton migration distances and more frequent proton hopping, in agreement with the experimental results.

Impact of Microporous Layer on Heat and Mass Transfer in a Single Cell of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Using a Thin Polymer Electrolyte Membrane and a Thin Gas Diffusion Layer Operated at a High-Temperature Range

The impact of microporous layer (MPL) on the heat- and mass-transfer characteristics and power generation performance of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using a thin polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and a thin gas diffusion layer (GDL) is investigated in this paper. The power generation is investigated at the operational temperatures of 90 and 100 °C which are the target temperatures from year 2020 to 2025 according to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization's road map in Japan. The in-plane temperature distributions on the separator back at the anode and the cathode are also measured by a thermograph. As a result, it is found that the voltage drop with the MPL at a high current density is larger compared to that without the MPL irrespective of the initial temperature of the cell and relative humidity conditions. The study also revealed from the anode side observation that the in-plane temperature distribution with the MPL is wider compared to that without the MPL, especially at the initial temperature of 90 °C of the cell . Similarly, from the cathode side observation, the in-plane temperature distributions with the MPL were found to be wider compared to that without the MPL. This study has concluded that the MPL is not effective in obtaining a high performance and even an in-plane temperature distribution for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell with the thin PEM and the thin GDL at a high operational temperature range.

Polyoxadiazoles as proton exchange membranes for fuel cell application

The number of researches on the ion exchange membrane has increased considerably in recent years showing interest in fuel cell technology for the automobile and portable applications. The most promising fuel cell technology for low-temperature operation (80 °C < T < 150 °C) uses a polymer membrane separating the anode and cathode compartments in an electrochemical cell. Polyoxadiazoles (PODs) belong to a class of heterocyclic polymers, which possess a number of unique properties, such as thermal, mechanical, and chemical resistance. In the present review, numerous ways of POD synthesis are discussed in relation to their functional properties. In addition, different approaches to the elaboration of POD-based composite membranes are discussed in details in order to reveal the structure/properties relationship.

Machine learning for guiding high-temperature PEM fuel cells with greater power density

High-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are enticing energy conversion technologies because they use low-cost hydrogen generated from methane and have simple water and heat management. However, proliferation of this technology requires improvement in power density. Here, we show that Machine Learning (ML) tools can help guide activities for improving HT-PEMFC power density because these tools quickly and efficiently explore large search spaces. The ML scheme relied on a 0-D, semi-empirical model of HT-PEMFC polarization behavior and a data analysis framework. Existing datasets underwent support vector regression analysis using a radial basis function kernel. In addition, the 0-D, semi-empirical HT-PEMFC model was substantiated by polarization data, and synthetic data generated from this model was subject to dimension reduction and density-based clustering. From these analyses, pathways were revealed to surpass 1 W cm⁻² in HT-PEMFCs with oxygen as the oxidant and CO containing hydrogen.

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A framework that integrates materials data with device operation via ML

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ML of synthetic data from an experimentally verified current distribution model

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Dimension reduction and clustering identify pathways for improved HT-PEMFCs

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are crucial for achieving global sustainability goals. In this context, there is need for the development of new materials that realize high-performing and low-cost power sources. At the same time, advances in computational power, simulation, and Machine Learning enable researchers to explore large amounts of data, providing inspiration and tools for the design of new systems. In this work, we combined experiments with modeling and data analysis tools to build a framework for the study and development of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). The framework used Machine Learning tools (e.g., support vector regression, dimension reduction, and clustering) that seamlessly linked materials characteristics with fuel cell performance. This allowed for the accelerated discovery of material properties and fuel cell operating parameters that achieve greater power density while co-currently addressing costs.

Nanocomposite membranes of polybenzimidazole and amine-functionalized carbon nanofibers for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Carbon nanofibers functionalized with aminobenzoyl groups (CNF–aminobenzoyl) were prepared via direct Friedel–Crafts acylation in polyphosphoric acid. The functionalization of CNFs was characterized using XPS, FTIR, TGA, and Raman analyses. Hexafluoroisopropylidene-containing polybenzimidazole (6FPBI) composite membranes containing pristine CNFs or CNF–aminobenzoyl were prepared using solvent-assisted dispersion and solvent-casting methods. In this work, the influence of the incorporation of functionalized CNFs on several physicochemical properties of the 6FPBI nanocomposite membranes, including their thermal stability, mechanical strength, and acid doping level, was studied. The results showed that CNF–aminobenzoyl provided better mechanical reinforcement for the nanocomposite membrane, compared to pristine CNF. The SEM observation confirmed the good compatibility between the CNF–aminobenzoyl fillers and the 6FPBI matrix. For the 0.3 wt% CNF–aminobenzoyl/6FPBI composite membrane, the tensile stress was increased by 12% to be 78.9 MPa (as compared to the 6FPBI membrane), the acid doping level was improved to 12.0, and the proton conductivity at 160 °C was measured above 0.2 S cm⁻¹. Furthermore, the fuel cell performance of the membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) for each nanocomposite membrane was evaluated. The maximum power density at 160 °C was found up to 461 mW cm⁻² for the MEA based on the 0.3 wt% CNF–aminobenzoyl/6FPBI composite membrane.

Carbon nanofibers functionalized with aminobenzoyl groups (CNF–aminobenzoyl) were prepared via direct Friedel–Crafts acylation in polyphosphoric acid.

High temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells: progress in advanced materials and key technologies

High temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are one type of promising energy device with the advantages of fast reaction kinetics (high energy efficiency), high tolerance to fuel/air impurities, simple plate design, and better heat and water management. They have been expected to be the next generation of PEMFCs specifically for application in hydrogen-fueled automobile vehicles and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. However, their high-cost and low durability interposed by the insufficient performance of key materials such as electrocatalysts and membranes at high temperature operation are still the challenges hindering the technology's practical applications. To develop high performance HT-PEMFCs, worldwide researchers have been focusing on exploring new materials and the related technologies by developing novel synthesis methods and innovative assembly techniques, understanding degradation mechanisms, and creating mitigation strategies with special emphasis on catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction, proton exchange membranes and bipolar plates. In this paper, the state-of-the-art development of HT-PEMFC key materials, components and device assembly along with degradation mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and HT-PEMFC based CHP systems is comprehensively reviewed. In order to facilitate further research and development of HT-PEMFCs toward practical applications, the existing challenges are also discussed and several future research directions are proposed in this paper.

Advancements in proton exchange membranes for high-performance high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC)

The high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) offers several advantages, such as high proton conductivity, high CO tolerance, good chemical/thermal stability, good mechanical properties, and low cost. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) is the critical component of HT-PEMFC. This work discusses the methods of current PEMs development for HT-PEMFC including modifications of Nafion® membranes and the advancement in composite PEMs based on non-fluorinated polymers. The modified Nafion®-based membranes can be used at temperatures up to 140 °C. Nevertheless, the application of Nafion®-based membranes is limited by their humidification with water molecules acting as proton carriers and, thus, by the operation conditions of membranes under a relative humidity below 20%. To obtain PEMs applied at higher temperatures under non-humidified conditions, phosphoric acid (PA) or ionic liquids (ILs) are used as proton carriers in PEMs based on non-fluorinated polymers. The research discussed in this work provides the approaches to improving the physicochemical properties and performance fuel cell of PEMs. The effects of polymer blending, crosslinking, and the incorporation of inorganic particles on the membrane properties and fuel cell performance have been scrutinized. The incorporation of inorganic particles modified with ILs might be an effective approach to designing high-performance PEMs for HT-PEMFC.

How Can Protons Migrate in Extremely Compressed Liquid Water?

Compression of liquid water up to multi-kbar pressures is known to perturb dramatically its local structure required for charge defects to migrate as topological defects in the hydrogen-bonded network. Our ab initio simulations show that the migration of excess protons is not much affected at 10 kbar, whereas that of proton holes is significantly reduced. Non-Markovian analyses show that this is not due to modifying the free energy barriers of both charge transfer and migration. It is rather pressure-induced modifications of the population of activated states, depending on interstitial water, which rules charge migration at extreme compression.

Recent Progress in the Development of Composite Membranes Based on Polybenzimidazole for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Applications

The rapid increasing of the population in combination with the emergence of new energy-consuming technologies has risen worldwide total energy consumption towards unprecedent values. Furthermore, fossil fuel reserves are running out very quickly and the polluting greenhouse gases emitted during their utilization need to be reduced. In this scenario, a few alternative energy sources have been proposed and, among these, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are promising. Recently, polybenzimidazole-based polymers, featuring high chemical and thermal stability, in combination with fillers that can regulate the proton mobility, have attracted tremendous attention for their roles as PEMs in fuel cells. Recent advances in composite membranes based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) for high temperature PEM fuel cell applications are summarized and highlighted in this review. In addition, the challenges, future trends, and prospects of composite membranes based on PBI for solid electrolytes are also discussed.

New Carbon Nanofiber Composite Materials Containing Lanthanides and Transition Metals Based on Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile for High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Cathodes

Electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile/DMF dopes containing salts of nickel, cobalt, zirconium, cerium, gadolinium, and samarium, makes it possible to obtain precursor nanofiber mats which can be subsequently converted into carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites by pyrolysis at 1000-1200 °C. Inorganic additives were found to be uniformly distributed in CNFs. Metal states were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). According to XPS in CNF/Zr/Ni/Gd composites pyrolyzed at 1000 °C, nickel exists as Ni0 and as Ni2+, gadolinium as Gd3+, and zirconium as Zr4+. If CNF/Zr/Ni/Gd is pyrolyzed at 1200 °C, nickel exists only as Ni0. For CNF/Sm/Co composite, samarium is in Sm3+ form when cobalt is not found on a surface. For CNF/Zr/Ni/Ce composite, cerium exists both as Ce4+ and as Ce3+. Composite CNF mats were platinized and tested as cathodes in high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). Such approach allows to introduce Pt-M and Pt-MOx into CNF, which are more durable compared to carbon black under HT-PEMFC operation. For CNF/Zr/Ni/Gd composite cathode, higher performance in the HT-PEMFC at I >1.2 A cm-2 is achieved due to elimination of mass transfer losses in gas-diffusion electrode compared to commercial Celtec®P1000.

Fuel cell and electrolyzer using plastic waste directly as fuel

The effective utilization of plastic waste, including its use as an energy or chemical resource, has attracted much attention. Nevertheless, energy recovery from plastics via incineration generates air pollutants and toxic compounds, while chemical conversion requires significant energy inputs, especially in the case of gasification. Herein, we report the electrochemical conversion of plastics into electricity or hydrogen without the use of special procedures. When a mixture of plastic solid combined with an acidic solution was fed into an electrochemical cell, the solid was found to dissolve in the solution at 100 °C or higher, followed by the release of protons from the anode to the cathode according to a multi-electron oxidation reaction. This oxidation reaction required an anode that was sufficiently porous so as to allow transport of the reactants. Taking the sponge sample as an example, the dissolved polyurethane had a molecular weight of 2000 or higher, the transport of which was facilitated using a carbon support with a pore diameter of approximately 10 nm. In addition, carbon black having an ordered porous structure exhibited better reagent transport compared to a disordered porous carbon black with similar pore diameters. As a consequence, this cell continuously provided power densities on the order of mW cm^-2 in the fuel cell mode and generated hydrogen at a low cell voltage of 0.55 V in the electrolyzer mode, using plastics as fuels at an operational temperature of 200 °C.

Analysis of HT-PEM MEAs’ Long-Term Stabilities

Despite the great advantages of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cells over the low-temperature (LT) PEM alternative, such as enhanced reaction kinetics and higher tolerance against impurities like CO due to the higher operation temperature, the achievement of high lifetimes still remains a challenge. In order to improve the durability of the fuel cell, extensive research has been carried out on alternatives for the individual components. For this reason, this paper conducted extended long-term tests with three three membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) from one manufacturer under different operational scenarios. The MEAs differed mainly by the membranes used and showed significantly different behaviors. While the first MEA reached the end of life already after 2600 h, the second one could pass 9800 h almost without any problems. The third MEA proved resistant to adverse conditions. For all three MEAs, extensive electrochemical characterizations and μ-CT examinations for the analysis of long-term stability are shown.

S. S. Polybenzimidazole co-polymers: their synthesis, morphology and high temperature fuel cell membrane properties

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) random co-polymers containing alicyclic and aromatic backbones were synthesized using two different dicarboxylic acids (viz., cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid and terephthalic acid) by varying their molar ratios.

Tailoring Different Molecular Weight Phenylene-Polybenzimidazole Membranes with Remarkable Oxidative Stability and Conductive Properties for High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Polybenzimidazole (ph-PBI) polymer was synthesized with different molecular weights (MWs) and casted into conductive films for use in high-temperature fuel cells (FCs). A comprehensive study on the influence of polymer MW on membrane cast efficiency, chemical stability, thermal behavior, tensile strength, conductivity, FC performance, and durability was reported. The synthesized materials were characterized by different techniques, including, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, impedance microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed the importance of manufacturing ph-PBI membranes with controlled properties to achieve high efficiency FCs. High MW ph-PBI membrane (119 kDa) showed a slower rate of chemical degradation, remarkable mechanical properties, and an improved FC performance compared to low MW ph-PBI membrane (39 kDa), thanks to the architecture of high MW ph-PBI. A gain of 91% in proton conductivity with a 47% in FC power density was obtained for the ph-PBI membrane with MW 119 kDa.