Polymer electrolyte based fuel cells (PEFCs) are always in the forefront of fuel cell revolution. Recently a wide variety of application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in PEFC components has been exploited. The impetus is to improve the PEFC performance by taking advantages of CNTs’ extraordinary physical, chemical and electronic properties. Herein, we briefly review these efforts with an attempt t...

The fully plastic ionic polymer actuators based on Poly (vinylidenefluoridetrifluoroethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene) PVDF-CTFE polymer were investigated. The actuator consists of a high conductive electrolyte layer containing EMI-TF ionic liquid sandwiched between two CNT/polymer electrodes. To reduce the modulus of the CNT electrodes and hence enhance the actuation performance of the actuator,...

The paper presents and discusses a method to achieve beneficial electrochemical effects mediated by interfaces in an ionic conducting polymer matrix. The beneficial effects include enhanced ionic transport, catalysis of anodic oxidation reaction, and stabilization of the lithium-electrolyte interface in lithium-based electrochemical cells. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) doped with LiN(SO2CF2CF3)2 (Li...

Recently mesoporous materials have drawn great attention in fuel cell related applications, such as preparation of polymer electrolyte membranes and catalysts, hydrogen storage and purification. In this mini-review, we focus on recent developments in mesoporous electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, including metallic and metal-free catalysts for use as either anode or ca...

Organic-inorganic hybrid electrolyte membranes based on poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether) complexed with LiClO4 via the co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate have been prepared and characterized. A variety of techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier tra...

Liquid water produced in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell experiences a freeze/thaw cycle when the cell is switched off and on while operating at ambient temperatures below freezing. This freeze/thaw cycle permanently deforms the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell capillary structures and reduces both the cell life and its ability to generate electric power. The X-ray tomography fac...

Ion-specific solvation has fundamental implications in biochemistry, and the thermodynamics and dynamics of aqueous salt solutions have correspondingly been investigated intensively. Nonetheless, there are fundamental unresolved issues in modeling the dynamics of aqueous salt solutions and the related problem of polymers dissolved in these solutions. In particular, experiments show that the sel...

This paper describes the fabrication of novel modified polyethylene (PE) membranes using plasma technology to create high-performance and cost-effective separator membranes for practical applications in lithium-ion polymer batteries. The modified PE membrane via plasma modification process plays a critical role in improving wettability and electrolyte retention, interfacial adhesion between sep...

Ceramic Electrolytes In article number 2203663, Ritu Sahore, Xi Chelsea Chen, and co-workers investigate the role of ceramic architecture excess surface polymer layers in a 3D interconnected ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte. The cover art highlights that despite interconnectedness, high impedance polymer/ceramic interface at is bottleneck.

The AsF6 anion, in the crystalline polymer electrolyte PEO6:LiAsF6, was replaced with the larger N(SO2CF3)2 anion. This produced an increase in the room temperature ionic conductivity of 1.5 orders of magnitude. It is believed that the enhancement is the result of the disruption of the electrostatic field around the lithium ions. The presence of the large and asymmetrical N(SO2CF3)2 ion creates...