Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) composed of polymer or blend is a vital element in PEM fuel cell that allows proton transport and serves as barrier between oxygen. Understanding the microscopic phase behavior blends very crucial to design alternative cost-effective proton-conducting materials. In this study, mesoscale morphologies Nafion/poly(1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole) (Nafion-PVTri) Nafion/pol...

Aggregation in heat-treated Nafion ionomer dispersion and 117 membrane are investigated by 1H and 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra, spin-lattice relaxation time, and self-diffusion coefficient measurements. Results demonstrate that heat-treatment affects the average Nafion particle size in aqueous dispersions. Measurements on heat-treated Nafion 117 membrane show changes in the 1H i...

Water sorption, volumetric expansion, and proton conductivity of 1100 EW Nafion and 555 EW sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) were compared as functions of water activity at 60 and 80 C. Water sorption in Nafion occurs with a small positive volume of mixing, 0.005 cm/cm. In contrast, water sorption in SPEEK has a large negative volume of mixing 0.05 cm/cm. The percolation thresholds for pr...

Carbon fiber microelectrode (CFME) modified by Nafion and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was studied by voltammetric methods in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution at pH 7.4. The Nafion-SWNTs/CFME modified microelectrode exhibited strongly enhanced voltammetric sensitivity and selectivity towards dopamine (DA) determination in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA). Nafion-SWNTs film acc...

The regenerative H₂/Br₂-HBr fuel cell, utilizing an oxidant solution of Br₂ in aqueous HBr, shows a number of benefits for grid-scale electricity storage. The membrane-electrode assembly, a key component of a fuel cell, contains a proton-conducting membrane, typically based on the perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer. Unfortunately, the high cost of PFSA membranes and their relatively high bro...

The dynamics of water and its effect on proton transport kinetics in Nafion membranes are compared at several hydration levels. Nafion is the most widely used polyelectrolyte membrane in fuel cells. Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of the O-D stretch of dilute HOD in H2O provides a probe of the local environment and hydrogen bond network dynamics of water confined in the hydrophilic regions of N...

A multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite with Nafion was modified on a glass carbon electrode. The modified electrode was then used as a voltammetric sensor in detecting 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP). The surface morphology of the Nafion/MWCNTs composite film was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the electrochemical behavior of TAP at this sensor was investigated in d...

Nafion contamination by ferrous-alloy corrosion products, resulting in dramatic drops of the Ohmic potential, is a suspected major failure mode of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells that make use of metallic bipolar plates. This study demonstrates the potential of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy combined with X-ray absorption and fluorescence microspectroscopy for exploring corrosio...

Carbon film disk electrodes with Nafion coatings have been characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a view to a better understanding of their advantages and limitations in electroanalysis, particularly in anodic stripping voltammetry of metal ions. After initial examination by cyclic voltammetry, spectra were recorded over the full potential range in acetate buffer sol...

For detection of phenolic compounds a simple amperometric biosensor based on tyrosinase immobilized in titania sol-gel/Nafion composite was employed. Titania sol-gel was mixed with Nafion (v/v) in ratios 1:1 (TiO2/NF-1/1) and 2:1 (TiO2/NF-2/1), v/v. Morphology of immobilization composites was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Analytical performance of biosensors with Nafion and bas...