Enhanced solid-electrolyte interface efficiency for practically viable hydrogen-air fuel cell systems

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) provide an appealing sustainable energy system, with the solid-electrolyte membrane playing a crucial role in its overall performance. Currently, sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene ether-ether sulfone) (SPEES), an aromatic hydrocarbon polymer, has garnered considerable attention as an alternative to Nafion polymers. However, the long-term durability and stability of SPEES present a significant challenge. In this context, we introduce a potential solution in the form of an additive, specifically a core-shell-based amine-functionalized iron titanate (A-Fe2TiO5), which holds promise for improving the lifetime, proton conductivity, and power density of SPEES in PEMFCs. The modified SPEES/A-Fe2TiO5 composite membranes exhibited notable characteristics, including high water uptake, enhanced thermomechanical stability, and oxidative stability. Notably, the SPEES membrane loaded with 1.2 wt% of A-Fe2TiO5 demonstrates a maximum proton conductivity of 155 mS cm(-1), a twofold increase compared to the SPEES membrane, at 80 degrees C under 100% relative humidity (RH). Furthermore, the 1.2 wt% of A-Fe2TiO5/SPEES composite membranes exhibited a maximum power density of 397.37 mW cm(-2) and a current density of 1148 mA cm(-2) at 60 degrees C under 100% RH, with an open-circuit voltage decay of 0.05 mV/h during 103 h of continuous operation. This study offers significant insights into the development and understanding of innovative SPEES nanocomposite membranes for PEMFC applications. (c) 2024 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.