Abstract
Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) based composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) application were prepared by sol-gel reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the SPEEK matrix and the incorporation of phosphotungstic acid (PWA). The conductivity of the developed membranes was determined by impedance spectroscopy and the methanol permeability through the membranes was obtained from diffuseness experiments. The SEM images show that the addition of SiO2 and the covalent cross-linking structure lead to fine PWA particles and more uniformly dispersion. The swelling of composite membranes remains in the range of 5%–8% at 30–90 °C and the effusion of PWA reduces significantly. The composite membranes show a good balance in higher proton conductivity and lower methanol permeation. The cell with composite membrane has higher open circuit voltage(0.728 V) and higher peak power density(45 mW/cm2) than that with Nafion117.
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