Enhanced OH− conductivity from 3D alkaline graphene oxide electrolytes for anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

A promising green energy technology, anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) offer several advantages over proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), including lower cost, higher durability, and improved effectiveness. However, the widespread commercialization of AEMFCs has been hindered by the lack of low-cost, high-conductivity anion-exchange membranes (AEMs). This work reports the fabrication of a high-conductivity OH⁻ ion exchange membrane using simple freeze-drying of graphene oxide at pH = 11 (3DGO11). At 25 °C and 100% RH conditions, the resulting membrane exhibits a through-plane hydroxide ion conductivity of 1.93 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and an in-plane conductivity of 3.74 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹. This high conductivity is attributed to the high porosity and multi-directional ion transport pathways created by the three-dimensional alkaline graphene oxide structure. These findings suggest a route for the development of cost-effective and high-performance AEMFCs.