Abstract
Polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) modified by SiO2/poly 2-acrylamido 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (PAMPS) electrolyte membrane (SiO2/PVA-PAMPS ) was prepared by a Sol-gel synthesis in situ technique for DMFC. The influence of the different ratio of AMPS and SiCl4 on the proton conductivity and methanol permeability of these membranes was studied using an impedance analyzer and a gas chromatograph. The results showed that with increasing of the content of silicon dioxide, the SiO2 was homogeneously distributed in the membrane. As the AMPS content increased, the proton conductivity of the SiO2/PVA-PAMPS membranes also increased. The swelling degree of the SiO2/PVA-PAMPS membrane with 30wt% SiCl4 and 20wt% AMPS was 28.79% at 25°C. The membranes possess a methanol permeability of around 10-7 cm2•S-1, which is about one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion115. These membranes have high selectivity and are promising for use in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC).
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