Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone): efficient ion-exchange polymer electrolytes for fuel cell applications–a versatile review

Abstract

Fuel cell technology yields cleaner energy resources for diverse applications such as transport, power stationery, and portable devices. This review focuses on the role of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) based proton conducting electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications. The key objective of the review is to demonstrate the advantages of SPEEK-based composite membranes over Nafion by blending the SPEEK material with fluorinated polymer, hydrocarbon polymer, carbon-based materials, inorganic nanomaterials, etc. The proton conductivity and ion-exchange capacity of SPEEK polymer with various additives/fillers are highlighted. Since SPEEK polymer is produced in an eco-friendly approach, the composite membranes derived from SPEEK are much more appropriate for both PEMFC and DMFC applications. Herein, the comprised data displayed that the SPEEK-based composite membranes might be urgently considered a potential candidate for fuel cell systems.