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Membranes
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New Challenges in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
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New Challenges in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications for Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2024) | Viewed by 2800

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chen Zhao

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Guest Editor
Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Research, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518038, China
Interests: fuel cell; reliability design; hydrogen production
Dr. Shuang Xing

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Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: fule cell; hydrogen production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogen, as a clean and efficient energy carrier, plays a significant role in achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), a key technology for converting hydrogen energy into electrical energy, have garnered considerable attention in the field of energy conversion due to their high energy density, low operating temperature, and rapid dynamic response. However, with the advancement of technology and the increase in application demands, PEMFCs are facing a series of new challenges and attracting increased research interest.

This Special Issue will focus on the new challenges related to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, discussing the latest progress and innovative solutions in material science, cell design, system integration, cost-effectiveness, and environmental adaptability. We are particularly interested in the following aspects:

  • Performance enhancement and durability;
  • Multi-scale modeling and simulation;
  • Cost-effectiveness analysis;
  • Environmental adaptability and tolerance;
  • System integration and optimization;
  • Development of new materials;
  • Integration of renewable energy sources;
  • Miniaturization and portable applications;
  • Rapid cold-start technology;
  • Safety research.

We invite you to submit original research or review articles on the aforementioned topics to explore the new challenges related to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and their future development directions. We look forward to receiving your contributions and promoting further scientific progress and technological innovation in this field.

We eagerly await your active participation and submissions.

Dr. Chen Zhao
Dr. Shuang Xing
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fuel cell
  • challenge
  • material
  • modeling
  • system

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 9041 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Carbon Black Support for Enhancing the Durability of Catalysts Used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Against Carbon Corrosion
by Minki Sung, Hyeonseok Yi, Jimin Han, Jong Beom Lee, Seong-Ho Yoon and Joo-Il Park
Membranes 2025, 15(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15010003 - 26 Dec 2024
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Abstract
This study addresses the critical challenge of carbon corrosion in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by developing hybrid supports that combine the high surface area of carbon black (CB) with the superior crystallinity and graphitic structure of carbon nanofibers (CNFs). Two commercially [...] Read more.
This study addresses the critical challenge of carbon corrosion in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by developing hybrid supports that combine the high surface area of carbon black (CB) with the superior crystallinity and graphitic structure of carbon nanofibers (CNFs). Two commercially available CB samples were physically activated and composited with two types of CNFs synthesized via chemical vapor deposition using different carbon sources. The structure, morphology, and crystallinity of the resulting CNF–CB hybrid supports were characterized, and the performances of these hybrid supports in mitigating carbon corrosion and enhancing the PEMFC performance was evaluated through full-cell testing in collaboration with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) manufacturer (VinaTech, Seoul, Republic, of Korea), adhering to industry-standard fabrication and evaluation procedures. Accelerated stress tests following the US Department of Energy protocols revealed that incorporating CNFs enhanced the durability of the CB-based hybrid supports without compromising their performance. The improved performance of the MEAs with the hybrid carbon support is attributed to the ability of the CNF to act as a structural backbone, facilitate water removal, and provide abundant edge plane sites for anchoring the platinum catalyst, which promoted the oxygen reduction reaction and improved catalyst utilization. The findings of this study highlight the potential of CNF-reinforced CB supports for enhancing the durability and performance of PEMFCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells)
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14 pages, 7551 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Water-Insoluble Carbon Nitride-Phosphotungstic Acid Hybrids in Composite Proton Exchange Membranes
by Xiancan Yuan, Zhongrui Lu, Xiaoyang Jia, Zhuoran Yang, Jian Wang, Xiong Wang, Jun Lin and Shaojian He
Membranes 2024, 14(9), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14090195 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Phosphotungstic acid (HPW) can retain water in proton exchange membranes to increase proton conductivity; however, its water-soluble nature limits further application. In this work, we combined HPW and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via sintering to prepare water-insoluble hybrids (HWN), [...] Read more.
Phosphotungstic acid (HPW) can retain water in proton exchange membranes to increase proton conductivity; however, its water-soluble nature limits further application. In this work, we combined HPW and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via sintering to prepare water-insoluble hybrids (HWN), where HPW was chemically linked to g-C3N4 to fix HPW. Then, HWN fillers were added to a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) matrix to prepare composite membranes. The conductivity of the composite membrane with 10 wt% HWN is up to 0.066 S cm−1 at room temperature, which is 53% higher than that of the SPEEK control membrane (0.043 S cm−1). The composite membrane also showed stable proton conductivity after being immersed in water for 2000 h. Therefore, our study demonstrates that preparing water-insoluble nanofillers containing HPW components through sintering is a promising approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells)
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