Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.7
4.9
Journals
Polymers
Special Issues
Advancements in Ion-Exchange Polymer Membranes: Microstructure Design, Performance Optimization, and...
polymers-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Polymers Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advancements in Ion-Exchange Polymer Membranes: Microstructure Design, Performance Optimization, and Extreme Condition Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Membranes and Films".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1047

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Cong Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Interests: polymer materials for energy applications; organic materials; organic-inorganic composite materials; catalysts

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ion-exchange polymer membranes are widely used in energy systems such as fuel cells, water electrolysis, and supercapacitors due to their excellent ionic conductivity, selectivity, and chemical stability. This Special Issue focuses on the microstructural characterization and performance optimization of novel ion-exchange polymer membranes. We welcome submissions on the following topics:

Microstructural Design and Optimization: Enhancing membrane conductivity, chemical stability, and mechanical strength through polymer crystal structure, crystallinity, and crosslinking design, with a focus on single-crystal or semi-crystalline membranes.

Composite Membrane Fabrication and Performance: Investigating the effects of inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., silica, graphene, nano-alumina) in improving properties like water retention, ionic conductivity, and thermal stability.

Performance Under Extreme Conditions: Studying membrane behavior under low- and high-temperature conditions, especially in fuel cells and water electrolysis systems, with a focus on ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, and gas permeability.

Advanced Characterization Techniques: Applying methods like X-ray scattering, microscopy, and neutron scattering to analyze membrane microstructure and ion conduction.

Computational Simulations and Machine Learning: Using molecular dynamics, density functional theory, and machine learning to predict membrane performance and accelerate the design of novel ion-exchange polymer membranes.

Dr. Cong Feng
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
  • ionic polymer
  • crystal structure
  • ionic conductivity
  • thermal stability
  • atomic simulation
  • machine learning
  • high-temperature performance

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 1837 KB  
Article
Enhancing Hydration Stability and Proton Transport in Nafion/SiO2 Membranes for Medium- to High-Temperature PEMFCs
by Shuai Quan, Zheng Sun, Cong Feng, Lei Xing and Pingwen Ming
Polymers 2026, 18(3), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18030329 - 26 Jan 2026
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes suffer from severe conductivity decay caused by dehydration at elevated temperatures, hindering their application in medium- to high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (MHT-PEMFCs). To address this, Nafion/SiO2 composite membranes with systematically varied filler contents were fabricated via [...] Read more.
Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes suffer from severe conductivity decay caused by dehydration at elevated temperatures, hindering their application in medium- to high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (MHT-PEMFCs). To address this, Nafion/SiO2 composite membranes with systematically varied filler contents were fabricated via a sol–gel-assisted casting strategy to enhance hydration stability and proton transport. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses reveal a homogeneous nanoscale dispersion of SiO2 within the Nafion matrix, along with strong interfacial hydrogen bonding between SiO2 and sulfonic acid groups. These interactions effectively suppress polymer crystallinity and stabilize hydrated ionic domains. Thermogravimetric analysis confirms markedly improved water retention in the composite membranes at intermediate temperatures. Proton conductivity measurements at 50% relative humidity (RH) identify the Nafion/SiO2-3 membrane as exhibiting optimal transport behavior, delivering the highest conductivity of 61.9 mS·cm−1 at 120 °C and significantly improved conductivity retention compared to Nafion 117. Furthermore, single-cell tests under MHT-PEMFC conditions (120 °C, 50% RH) demonstrate the practical efficacy of these membrane-level enhancements, with the Nafion/SiO2-3 membrane exhibiting an open-circuit voltage and peak power density 11.2% and 8.9% higher, respectively, than those of pristine Nafion under identical MEA fabrication and operating conditions. This study elucidates a clear structure–property–transport relationship in SiO2-reinforced PFSA membranes, demonstrating that controlled inorganic incorporation is a robust strategy for extending the operational temperature window of PFSA-based proton exchange membranes toward device-level applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Ion-Exchange Polymer Membranes: Microstructure Design, Performance Optimization, and Extreme Condition Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2285 KB  
Article
Rheology of Aqueous Solutions in the Presence of Proton Exchange Membrane: Surface Tension
by Svetlana L. Timchenko, Yurii Yu. Infimovskii, Evgenii N. Zadorozhnyi and Nikolai A. Zadorozhnyi
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010036 - 23 Dec 2025
Viewed by 364
Abstract
Controlling the rheological properties of liquids allows for the regulation of effective movement, transport of substances, and processes in biological systems. This work presents an experimental investigation into the influence of the proton-exchange polymer membrane Nafion on the surface tension coefficient (STC) of [...] Read more.
Controlling the rheological properties of liquids allows for the regulation of effective movement, transport of substances, and processes in biological systems. This work presents an experimental investigation into the influence of the proton-exchange polymer membrane Nafion on the surface tension coefficient (STC) of distilled water, aqueous solutions of two methylene blue (MB) forms, and ascorbic acid (AA). Immediately upon membrane immersion in the solutions, a sharp decrease in the surface tension of distilled water, as well as of the oxidized and reduced forms of MB, occurs. The observed narrow time interval is associated with the formation of an exclusion zone near the membrane–solution interface, containing dissociated sulfonate groups (SO3−). The value of the time interval depends on the type of aqueous solution. At long soaking of the membrane in solutions, we obtained: for the aqueous solution of Mb+ (blue-coloured solution) the STC value eventually increases by about 5%, and for the reduced form of methylene blue MbH0-colourless solution, the STC value decreases by 4%. The STC value of the solutions formed during diffusion into the membrane has a significantly lower value compared to the STC of distilled water by 20% for the Mb+ form and by 24% for the MbH0 form of MB. The presence of the membrane in the aqueous AA solution causes only an increase in the STC value of the solution. Ultimately, for the solution with a concentration of 5 g/L, this increase reached 15% relative to the STC value of the original AA solution. The change in surface tension of the investigated solutions in the presence of the membrane is due to their adsorption onto the membrane surface. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy investigation of distilled water, MB, and AA solution diffusion into the membrane across the range (370–7800) cm−1 confirms the process nonlinearity and enables identification of distinct time intervals corresponding to membrane swelling stages. The positions of IR transmission minima for membranes containing water and solution components remain unchanged; only the numerical values of the transmission coefficients vary. Using spectrophotometry, absorption lines of the membrane with adsorbed components of MB and AA solutions were identified in the range of (190–900) nm. The absorption spectra of dried membranes with adsorbed Mb+ and AA solutions show a redshift to the IR region for the Nafion with Mb+ and a shift to the UV region for the Nafion soaked in an aqueous ascorbic acid solution. A surface tension gradient at the membrane–solution interface can induce concentration-capillary convection in the liquid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Ion-Exchange Polymer Membranes: Microstructure Design, Performance Optimization, and Extreme Condition Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop