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Polymers
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Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
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Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 17439

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra Carbone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies “Nicola Giordano”, ITAE, Messina, Italy
Interests: polymers; functional groups; composites; ion conductivity; fuel cells; polymer electrolytes; anionic membranes; protonic membranes; alkaline electrolyzers; PEFC; AMFC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Irene Gatto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies “Nicola Giordano”, ITAE, Messina, Italy
Interests: polymer electrolytes fuel cells; components development; electrochemistry; electrocatalysis; ionomers; fuel cells; polymer electrolytes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrochemical devices for high-efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly energy conversion are one of the great challenges faced by our contemporary society. Electrochemical devices based on polymer electrolyte membranes are highly versatile and promising systems with a wide range of applications in automotive, mobile, portable, and stationary systems. The performance of these devices is strictly dependent on the properties of their components, and hence, considerable attention has been paid to the research and development of key materials such as catalysts, polyelectrolyte membranes, and electrodes.
The properties of polyelectrolyte membranes, such as ionic conductivity (both protonic and anionic), chemical stability in acidic or alkaline environments, mechanical resistance, and compatibility with other components, need to be properly tailored to reach a technological stage. Also, the production costs of polyelectrolyte membranes should be competitive with those of the existent technologies based on non-renewable sources.
This Special Issue of Polymers invites contributions addressing several aspects of this research field, such as the development and innovation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells with high efficiency and better performance, stability, and durability. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the synthesis and characterization of new functionalized polymers (protonic and anionic); the development of ionomer materials; composite and/or reinforced membranes; catalysts development and testing; new electrodes configurations; procedures for membrane–electrodes assembly (MEA) formation; the investigation of chemical degradation processes; durability and accelerated degradation test protocols.

Dr. Alessandra Carbone
Dr. Irene Gatto
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 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. 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

  • polyelectrolyte membrane
  • ionic conductivity
  • chemical stability
  • catalysts
  • MEA
  • durability
  • degradation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2498 KiB  
Article
Composite Nafion-CaTiO3-δ Membranes as Electrolyte Component for PEM Fuel Cells
by Lucia Mazzapioda, Carmelo Lo Vecchio, Olesia Danyliv, Vincenzo Baglio, Anna Martinelli and Maria Assunta Navarra
Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2019; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12092019 - 04 Sep 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2765
Abstract
Manufacturing new electrolytes with high ionic conductivity has been a crucial challenge in the development and large-scale distribution of fuel cell devices. In this work, we present two Nafion composite membranes containing a non-stoichiometric calcium titanate perovskite (CaTiO3−δ) as a filler. [...] Read more.
Manufacturing new electrolytes with high ionic conductivity has been a crucial challenge in the development and large-scale distribution of fuel cell devices. In this work, we present two Nafion composite membranes containing a non-stoichiometric calcium titanate perovskite (CaTiO3−δ) as a filler. These membranes are proposed as a proton exchange electrolyte for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell devices. More precisely, two different perovskite concentrations of 5 wt% and 10 wt%, with respect to Nafion, are considered. The structural, morphological, and chemical properties of the composite membranes are studied, revealing an inhomogeneous distribution of the filler within the polymer matrix. Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) tests, at 110 °C and 2 M methanol concentration, were also performed. It was observed that the membrane containing 5 wt% of the additive allows the highest cell performance in comparison to the other samples, with a maximum power density of about 70 mW cm−2 at 200 mA cm−2. Consequently, the ability of the perovskite structure to support proton carriers is here confirmed, suggesting an interesting strategy to obtain successful materials for electrochemical devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell)
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14 pages, 5153 KiB  
Article
Development of a Chitosan/PVA/TiO2 Nanocomposite for Application as a Solid Polymeric Electrolyte in Fuel Cells
by Elio Enrique Ruiz Gómez, José Herminsul Mina Hernández and Jesús Evelio Diosa Astaiza
Polymers 2020, 12(8), 1691; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12081691 - 29 Jul 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3966
Abstract
The influence of the incorporation of nanoparticles of titanium oxide (TiO2) at a concentration between 1000 and 50,000 ppm on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of a polymer matrix formed from a binary mixture of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [...] Read more.
The influence of the incorporation of nanoparticles of titanium oxide (TiO2) at a concentration between 1000 and 50,000 ppm on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of a polymer matrix formed from a binary mixture of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at a ratio of 80:20 and the possibility of its use as a solid polymeric electrolyte were evaluated. With the mixture of the precursors, a membrane was formed with the solvent evaporation technique (casting). It was found that the incorporation of the nanoparticles affected the moisture absorption of the material; the samples with the highest concentrations displayed predominantly hydrophobic behavior, while the samples with the lowest content displayed absorption values of 90%. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed relatively low dehydration in the materials that contained low concentrations of filler; moreover, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the nanoparticles did not significantly affect the thermal transitions (Tg and Tm) of the compound. The ionic conductivity of the compound with a relatively low concentration of 1000 ppm TiO2 nanoparticles was determined by complex impedance spectroscopy. The membranes doped with a 4 M KOH solution demonstrated an increase in conductivity of two orders of magnitude, reaching values of 10−6 S·cm−1 at room temperature in previously dried samples, compared to that of the undoped samples, while their activation energy was reduced by 50% with respect to that of the undoped samples. The voltage–current test in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) indicated an energy efficiency of 17% and an open circuit voltage of 1.0 V for the undoped compound, and these results were comparable to those obtained for the commercial membrane product Nafion® 117 in evaluations performed under conditions of 90% moisture saturation. However, the tests indicated a low current density in the undoped compound. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell)
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14 pages, 3374 KiB  
Article
Phase Inversion-Induced Porous Polybenzimidazole Fuel Cell Membranes: An Efficient Architecture for High-Temperature Water-Free Proton Transport
by Sangrae Lee, Ki-Ho Nam, Kwangwon Seo, Gunhwi Kim and Haksoo Han
Polymers 2020, 12(7), 1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12071604 - 19 Jul 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4347
Abstract
To cope with the demand for cleaner alternative energy, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have received significant research attention owing to their high-power density, high fuel efficiency, and low polluting by-product. However, the water requirement of these cells has necessitated research on [...] Read more.
To cope with the demand for cleaner alternative energy, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have received significant research attention owing to their high-power density, high fuel efficiency, and low polluting by-product. However, the water requirement of these cells has necessitated research on systems that do not require water and/or use other mediums with higher boiling points. In this work, a highly porous meta-polybenzimidazole (m-PBI) membrane was fabricated through the non-solvent induced phase inversion technique and thermal cross-linking for high-temperature PEMFC (HT-PEMFC) applications. Standard non-thermally treated porous membranes are susceptible to phosphoric acid (PA) even at low concentrations and are unsuitable as polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs). With the porous structure of m-PBI membranes, higher PA uptake and minimal swelling, which is controlled via cross-linking, was achieved. In addition, the membranes exhibited partial asymmetrical morphology and are directly applicable to fuel cell systems without any further modifications. Membranes with insufficient cross-linking resulted in an unstable performance in HT-PEMFC environments. By optimizing thermal treatment, a high-performance membrane with limited swelling and improved proton conductivity was achieved. Finally, the m-PBI membrane exhibited enhanced acid retention, proton conductivity, and fuel cell performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell)
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14 pages, 3020 KiB  
Article
Novel Polymeric Composite TPPS/s-PEEK Membranes for Low Relative Humidity PEFC
by Alessandra Carbone, Maria Angela Castriciano, Luigi Monsù Scolaro and Irene Gatto
Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1431; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061431 - 26 Jun 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2185
Abstract
Composite membranes based on different wt percentages of meso-tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) embedded in a medium sulfonation degree (50%) sulfonated poly(etheretherketone) (s-PEEK) were investigated. The successful introduction of porphyrin into the membranes and the characterization of its different species into the membrane ionic domains [...] Read more.
Composite membranes based on different wt percentages of meso-tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) embedded in a medium sulfonation degree (50%) sulfonated poly(etheretherketone) (s-PEEK) were investigated. The successful introduction of porphyrin into the membranes and the characterization of its different species into the membrane ionic domains were carried out by spectroscopic techniques. Moreover, the effect of TPPS arrangement was investigated in terms of water retention, proton conductivity and fuel cell performance at low relative humidity (RH). It was found that the introduction of this porphyrin induces a variation of the chemical-physical parameters, such as ion exchange capacity (IEC), water up-take (Wup %) λ and proton concentration ([H+]), attributable to the interactions that occur between the sulfonic groups of the polymer and the nitrogen sites of TPPS. The TPPS, in its J-aggregated form, actively participates in the proton conduction mechanism, also maintaining the adequate water content in more drastic conditions (80 °C and 50% RH). A maximum power density value of 462 mW cm−2 was obtained for the s-PEEK membrane, with a 0.77 wt % content of TPPS. This evidence suggests that the presence of J-aggregates in the proton conduction channels maintains a good hydration, even if a drastic reduction of the RH of the reactant gases occurs, preventing the membrane from a dry-out effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell)
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14 pages, 3600 KiB  
Article
Novel Anion Exchange Membrane Based on Poly(Pentafluorostyrene) Substituted with Mercaptotetrazole Pendant Groups and Its Blend with Polybenzimidazole for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Applications
by Hyeongrae Cho, Vladimir Atanasov, Henning M. Krieg and Jochen A. Kerres
Polymers 2020, 12(4), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12040915 - 15 Apr 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3369
Abstract
In order to evaluate the performance of the anion exchange membranes in a vanadium redox flow battery, a novel anion exchange polymer was synthesized via a three step process. Firstly, 1-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-5-mercaptotetrazole was grafted onto poly(pentafluorostyrene) by nucleophilic F/S exchange. Secondly, the tertiary amino [...] Read more.
In order to evaluate the performance of the anion exchange membranes in a vanadium redox flow battery, a novel anion exchange polymer was synthesized via a three step process. Firstly, 1-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-5-mercaptotetrazole was grafted onto poly(pentafluorostyrene) by nucleophilic F/S exchange. Secondly, the tertiary amino groups were quaternized by using iodomethane to provide anion exchange sites. Finally, the synthesized polymer was blended with polybenzimidazole to be applied in vanadium redox flow battery. The blend membranes exhibited better single cell battery performance in terms of efficiencies, open circuit voltage test and charge-discharge cycling test than that of a Nafion 212 membrane. The battery performance results of synthesized blend membranes suggest that those novel anion exchange membranes are promising candidates for vanadium redox flow batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell)
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