Sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether ketone)/Sulfonated α-zirconium phosphate Nanocomposite membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether) (SPAE) membranes have attracted significant attention as polymer electrolyte membranes due to their superior mechanical properties and low cost. However, the poor chemical stability and methanol barrier property of SPAE membranes limit the fuel cell performance. It is necessary to improve the proton conductivity, methanol barrier property, and stability of SPAE for high-performance fuel cells. Herein, a novel proton conductive filler, sulfonated α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP-SO3H), was synthesized and introduced to sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether ketone) (SPFEK) to fabricate advanced nanocomposite membranes. The oxidative stability, methanol permeability, water uptake, and proton conductivity of the as-prepared nanocomposite membranes were characterized. The nanocomposite membranes exhibited comparable performance as Nafion® 117 membrane in H2/O2 fuel cell and higher performance than Nafion® 117 in direct methanol fuel cell. These results suggest that ZrP-SO3H-doped SPFEK membrane is a promising candidate as a proton exchange membrane in high-performance fuel cells.