Effect of zinc oxide on the mechanical, thermal and physiochemical properties of chitosan-based hybrid membrane for DMFC application

Abstract

This work uses zinc oxide (ZnO) as a filler to prepare a chitosan-based hybrid membrane. The mechanical, thermal and physiochemical properties of the membranes were studied using different experimental techniques. The water uptake capacity and swelling degree of the composite membranes were increased whereas ion exchange capacity (IEC) decreases with the increase of ZnO content. The ZnO filler reduces the crystalline phase of the hybrid membranes. The hybrid membrane's proton conductivity was measured by EIS experiment and fitted into a comparable circuit model. The ZnO filler improves the membrane's proton conductivity, and the proton transport is controlled by the Grotthus mechanism.