Abstract
Polymer brush grafted SiO2 NPs provide Nafion nanocomposite membranes with superior proton conductivities at ambient and moderately high temperatures over the entire range of relative humidity.
Highlights
Gradual depletion of natural energy resources necessitates the development of more sustainable and reliable energy conversion systems
Polyelectrolyte membranes showing proton conductivity at moderate levels of relative humidity and temperatures are essential for the development of polyelectrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs)
This study presents a facile avenue to membranes with superior proton conductivities under moderate levels of relative humidity (RH) and temperature, and provides important insights into the scope of nanocomposite PEMs for fuel cell applications
Summary
Gradual depletion of natural energy resources necessitates the development of more sustainable and reliable energy conversion systems. By employing a model system based on self-standing macroporous silicon membranes with highly ordered and monodisperse cylindrical nanochannels functionalized with polymer brushes,[39,40,41,42] we have previously proposed and validated that the proton conductivity at low relative humidity levels can be improved by capitalizing on the hygroscopic and moisture retaining abilities of PEG.[43,44,45] Inspired by these characteristics of PEG, and based on our previous findings, we anticipate that the incorporation of the hydrophilic and moisture retaining ethylene oxide moiety functionalized NP based additives would enhance the water retaining tendency and proton conductivity of PEMs at low RH. In the context of PEMFCs, this study highlights the potential of incorporating polymer brush-functionalized nanoparticles into standard Nafion materials to increase PEM performance
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