We have achieved performance enhancement of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) though crack generation on its electrodes. It is the first attempt to enhance the performance of PEMFC by using cracks which are generally considered as defects. The pre-defined, cracked electrode was generated by stretching a catalyst-coated Nafion membrane. With the strain-stress property of the membran...

Proton exchange membranes remain a crucial material and key challenge to fuel cell science technology. In this work, new Nafion are prepared by casting method using aryl- or azaheteroaromatic bisphosphonate compounds as dopants. The incorporation of the dopant, considered at 1 wt% loading after previous selection, produces enhanced proton conductivity properties in membranes, different temperat...

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...

Free-standing, membrane-embedded, Si microwire arrays have been used to affect the solar-driven, unassisted splitting of HI into H2 and I3 . The Si microwire arrays were grown by a chemical-vapor-deposition vapor–liquid–solid growth process using Cu growth catalysts, with a radial np junction then formed on each microwire. A Nafion proton-exchange membrane was introduced between the microwires ...

Abstract A series of sulfated aluminum oxides (S-Al 2 O 3 ), investigated as an electrolyte additive in Nafion membranes, was synthesized via three different methods: (i) sol–gel sulfation starting from alkoxide precursor, (ii) room temperature fumed oxide, and (iii) hydrothermal oxide. Through the characterization S-Al by means X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), infrare...

The structure of Nafion, the polymer electrolyte membrane used in some fuel cells, has been extensively debated over recent decades. Now, a newly proposed model reveals the nanoscale arrangement that could explain the excellent transport properties of the material. Transport is a major source of pollution in cities. As a result, the development of cars and buses which generate low or negligible...

The high methanol crossover and high cost of Nafion® membrane are the major challenges for direct methanol fuel cell application. With the aim of solving these problems, a non-Nafion polymer electrolyte membrane with low methanol permeability and high proton conductivity based on the sodium alginate (SA) polymer as the matrix and sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) as an inorganic filler (0.02-0.2 ...

The application of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in maritime transportation is currently the spotlight due to stringent emissions regulations and establishment a carbon trading system. However, salt marine environment can accelerate degradation membranes (PEM), which are core component PEMFCs. In this study, effect NaCl concentration temperature on Nafion, benchmark PEMFC membran...

The drawbacks of current state-of-the-art selective membranes, such as poor barrier properties, high cost, and recyclability, limit the large-scale deployment electrochemical energy devices redox flow batteries (RFBs) fuel cells. In recent years, cellulosic nanomaterials have been proposed a low-cost green raw material for but their performance in RFBs cells is typically poorer than that sulfon...