Membranes for Direct Methanol and Microbial Fuel Cells

Dear Colleagues,

Direct methanol fuel cells are feasible devices for efficient electrochemical power generation, if issues regarding both electrodes and membranes can be solved. This Special Issue is particularly focused on the concerns associated with membranes and catalysts with special properties and efficiencies to be applied in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Nafion^® is the most standard fuel cell membrane material due to its high proton conductivity and exceptional chemical and mechanical stability. However, it suffers from a considerably high methanol permeability and a limited operating temperature (<80 °C). The first aspect was addressed with the use of nanofibers, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), and the second one by replacing Nafion^® with other based polymers. Electrospinning has been determined to be a suitable technique for obtaining polymer nanofiber mats intended for advanced composite membranes with improved characteristics and fuel cell performances. It is known that composite membranes of Nafion^® with nanofibers, surface functionalized with sulfonic acid groups, exhibited lower methanol permeabilities due to the intrinsic barrier properties of polymer nanofibers, although proton conductivity was also affected as a result of the non-conducting behavior of the bulk nanofiber phase. Remarkably, the nanofibers provided strong mechanical reinforcement, which enabled the preparation of low thickness membranes (<20 μm) with reduced ohmic losses, thus counteracting their lower proton conductivities.

Polymer-based membranes to operate in DMFC at intermediate temperatures ranged between 80-140 ºC, in which sluggish electrochemical reactions at the electrodes are accelerated and proton conductivity activated is a challenge in the researcher groups today. In this issue we want to bring together works that can be a reference for the industry, which in the present and future will incorporate to the construction of direct methanol fuel cells.

This Special Issue of Applied Sciences is for researchers and technologists interested in all aspects of the science, technology and applications of sources of electrochemical power. The papers will be original research and reviews about the science and applications of methanol and ethanol fuel cells, microbial fuel cells and photo-electrochemical cells. Topics considered include the research, development and applications of materials and novel componentry for these kinds of devices. 

Prof. Dr. Vicente Compañ Moreno
Guest Editor

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