Enhanced Proton Conductivity of a Zn(II)-Based MOF/Aquivion Composite Membrane for PEMFC Applications

Abstract

The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is considered as the center of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); a solid electrolyte membrane is an indispensable component of MEA. For membrane research and development, reducing ohmic resistance while improving mechanical stability is a challenge. Using short-side-chain (SSC) Aquivion perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) dispersion and considering the theory of coordination networks, the conductivity of the Aquivion polymer electrolyte membrane is improved by incorporating a highly proton-conductive and economical three-dimensional MOF {[(Me2NH2)3(SO4)]2[Zn2(ox)3]} n . The proton conductivity of the 1 wt % MOF-1/Aquivion composite membrane was improved by 13% compared to that of the pristine Aquivion membrane, 2 times that of Nafion and 1.5 times that of the MOF-1/Nafion composite. The water uptake and the ion-exchange capacity values are measured to analyze the fundamental properties of the membranes, and physical characterization techniques are also used.

Construction of effective transmission channels by anchoring metal‐organic framework on side‐chain sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone sulfone) for fuel cells

“…In particular, the Co 2+ contained in ZIF‐67 could coordinate well with the amino group (NH 2 ) anchoring in polymer backbone, which was beneficial to improve the compactness of membrane and then enhanced the proton conductivities of membranes 26,47 . Compared to commercial Nafion117 (0.083 S cm −1 at 80°C), 24 C‐SPAEKS/HPW@MIL‐100 (Fe) 4% (0.072 S cm −1 at 80°C), 1 1 wt% ZnOx MOF‐1/Aquivion (0.035 S cm −1 at 80°C), 49 CS/UiO‐66(NH 2 )‐15 (0.056 mS cm −1 at 80°C) 50 and H 2 SO 4 @MIL‐101/CS (0.095 S cm −1 at 80°C), 51 the Am‐S‐D‐AMPS/ZIF‐67‐10% showed the highest proton conductivity (Table 4).…”

Nanostructure‐property relationship of two perfluorinated sulfonic acid ( PFSA ) membranes

“…Among the commercially available equivalent weight (EW) for those membranes, 1100 (for Nafion) and 830 g/eq (for Aquivion) have been selected by many researchers due to their balanced conductivity and swelling (Figure 1), and several previous pieces of literature comparing Nafion and Aquivion focused on these materials. 18,25,[27][28][29][30] Based on SAXS results, we describe the nano-morphologies for those PFSA membranes under both dry and hydrated conditions. Moreover, the correlations between nanostructure and properties are also discussed.…”

“…On this basis, here we report the dependence of both the ionic and crystalline domains of Nafion and Aquivion on their side‐chain length. Among the commercially available equivalent weight (EW) for those membranes, 1100 (for Nafion) and 830 g/eq (for Aquivion) have been selected by many researchers due to their balanced conductivity and swelling (Figure 1), and several previous pieces of literature comparing Nafion and Aquivion focused on these materials 18,25,27‐30 . Based on SAXS results, we describe the nano‐morphologies for those PFSA membranes under both dry and hydrated conditions.…”

Mechanism of proton transport in water clusters and the effect of electric fields: A DFT study

“…One recent example was provided by Mukhopadhyay et al [6] to fabricate nanocomposite membranes with MOFs and polymer by solution casting blending method with enhanced or better properties for fuel cell application. Another work by Paul et al [7] has shown that a novel MOF/Aquivion composite membrane exhibited enhanced proton conductivity compared with the Nafion. This material could be a promising candidate for designing a robust polymer electrode membrane for electrochemical applications [7].…”

“…Another work by Paul et al [7] has shown that a novel MOF/Aquivion composite membrane exhibited enhanced proton conductivity compared with the Nafion. This material could be a promising candidate for designing a robust polymer electrode membrane for electrochemical applications [7]. There are several reviews were recently published on this important topic of proton conduction in MOFs [8][9][10].…”