Abstract
Investigation of the collaborative effect of cerium particles embedded in graphene oxide to enhance the chemical stability of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been carried out. Synthesis of composite membranes (Nafion-GO/Ce-x) with Nafion solution as a polymer is synthesized by a solution casting method where (x = concentration of composite). The developed hybrid material was characterized by FT-IR and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for its phase identification while the chemical structure was characterized by XPS analysis. The enhancement in the chemical stability of the incorporated hybrid material is characterized by Fenton’s test showing a radical scavenging effect. It was found that the residual weight for Nafion 212 was 92.50% after 24 h and it was 94.32% for Nafion-GO/Ce-2 and 96.49% for Nafion-GO/Ce-4, proving the suitability of composite membranes for fuel cell applications.
Highlights
Due to their advantages of high energy density and low emission of pollutants (SOx, NOx), proton exchange membrane fuel cells have received significant attention due to their potential as a clean and efficient source for energy production [1,2,3,4], their commercial usage is still restricted because of some technical obstacles
Cerium ion is considered the best metal ion as a radical scavenger as it bears a unique ability to convert Ce+3 To Ce+4 when exposed to acidic medium and can generate Ce+3 when it is reacted with H2O2 [19]
It could increase the antioxidation stability of the polymer electrolyte membrane, which may increase the durability for long-term operation, but the excess amounts of polymer could result in a decrease in proton conductivity due to the neutralization of sulfonic acid groups with the positive charge of cerium [20]
Summary
Due to their advantages of high energy density and low emission of pollutants (SOx, NOx), proton exchange membrane fuel cells have received significant attention due to their potential as a clean and efficient source for energy production [1,2,3,4], their commercial usage is still restricted because of some technical obstacles. The properties of Nafion that contribute to its chemical stability were investigated by the introduction of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), zirconia phosphate and titania, which mainly functioned as organic and inorganic fillers [17] They resulted in a significant increase in the stability but polymer electrolyte membranes still suffer from low proton conductivity. Cerium ion is considered the best metal ion as a radical scavenger as it bears a unique ability to convert Ce+3 To Ce+4 when exposed to acidic medium and can generate Ce+3 when it is reacted with H2O2 [19] It could increase the antioxidation stability of the polymer electrolyte membrane, which may increase the durability for long-term operation, but the excess amounts of polymer could result in a decrease in proton conductivity due to the neutralization of sulfonic acid groups with the positive charge of cerium [20]. Synthesized membranes were subjected to Fenton’s test to reveal the durability of the membranes for electrochemical applications
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