Issue 38, 2017

Sulfonated polyether ether ketone/strontium zirconite@TiO2 nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract

Nanocomposite membranes consisting of sulfonated perovskite-type strontium zirconite (sSrZrO3) and sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanofillers integrated into a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) matrix have been explored as ion-exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The perovskite fillers improved the thermal and oxidative stabilities of the SPEEK membranes. Due to the hygroscopic characteristics of sSrZrO3@TiO2, the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanocomposite membrane adsorbed a large amount of water, which facilitated the dissolution of acid moieties and led to enhanced proton conductivity. The narrower channels formed in the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanocomposite via the uniform distribution of sSrZrO3@TiO2 fillers in the SPEEK matrix restricted fuel transport and improved the selectivity ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeation. A DMFC constructed with the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 membrane offered superior power and current densities of 140 mW cm−2 and 639 mA cm−2, respectively, at 80 °C, compared to those obtained with a Nafion 117 membrane.

Graphical abstract: Sulfonated polyether ether ketone/strontium zirconite@TiO2 nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Jul 2017
Accepted
04 Sep 2017
First published
04 Sep 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 20497-20504

Sulfonated polyether ether ketone/strontium zirconite@TiO2 nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

G. Gnana kumar and A. Manthiram, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 20497 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA06258C

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