Anion-exchange membrane water electrolysers(AEMWEs)and fuel cells(AEMFCs)are critical technologies for converting renewable resources into green hydrogen(H_(2)),where anion-exchange membranes(AEMs)play a vital role in...Anion-exchange membrane water electrolysers(AEMWEs)and fuel cells(AEMFCs)are critical technologies for converting renewable resources into green hydrogen(H_(2)),where anion-exchange membranes(AEMs)play a vital role in efficiently transporting hydroxide ions(OH^(-))and minimizing fuel crossover,thus enhancing overall efficiency.While conventional AEMs with linear,side-chain,and block polymer architectures show promise through functionalization,their long-term performance remains a concern.To address this,hyperbranched polymers offer a promising alternative due to their three-dimensional structure,higher terminal functionality,and ease of functionalization.This unique architecture provides interconnected ion transport pathways,fractional free volume,and enhanced long-term stability in alkaline environments.Recent studies have achieved conductivities as high as 304.5 mS cm^(-1),attributed to their improved fractional free volume and microphase separation in hyperbranched AEMs.This review explores the chemical,mechanical,and ionic properties of hyperbranched AEMs in AEMFCs and assesses their potential for application in AEMWEs.Strategies such as blending and structural functionalisation have significantly improved the properties by promoting microphase separation and increasing the density of cationic groups on the polymer surface.The review provides essential insights for future research,highlighting the challenges and opportunities in developing high-performance hyperbranched AEMs to advance hydrogen energy infrastructure.展开更多
An extensive study has been conducted on the proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） with reducing Pt loading. This is commonly achieved by developing methods to increase the utilization of the platinum in the ...An extensive study has been conducted on the proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） with reducing Pt loading. This is commonly achieved by developing methods to increase the utilization of the platinum in the catalyst layer of the electrodes. In this paper, a novel process of the catalyst layers was introduced and investigated. A mixture of carbon powder and Nafion solution was sprayed on the glassy carbon electrode （GCE） to form a thin carbon layer. Then Pt particles were deposited on the surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic （IV） acid hexahydrate with methanoic acid. SEM images showed a continuous Pt gradient profile among the thickness direction of the catalytic layer by the novel method. The Pt nanowires grown are in the size of 3 nm （diameter） x l0 nm （length） by high solution TEM image. The novel catalyst layer was characterized by cyclic voltammetry （CV） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） as compared with commercial Pt/C black and Pt catalyst layer obtained from sputtering. The results showed that the platinum nanoparticles deposited on the carbon powder were highly utilized as they directly faced the gas diffusion layer and offered easy access to reactants （oxygen or hydrogen）.展开更多
Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of ...Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.展开更多
Pt/WO3/C nanocomposites with parallel WO3 nanorods were synthesized and applied as the cathode catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs）. Electrochemical results and single cell tests show that an en...Pt/WO3/C nanocomposites with parallel WO3 nanorods were synthesized and applied as the cathode catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs）. Electrochemical results and single cell tests show that an enhanced activity for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） is obtained for the Pt/WO3/C catalyst compared with Pt/C. The higher catalytic activity might be ascribed to the improved Pt dispersion with smaller particle sizes. The Pt/WO3/C catalyst also exhibits a good electrochemical stability under potential cycling. Thus, the Pt/WO3/C catalyst can be used as a potential PEMFC cathode catalyst.展开更多
High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs)are pursued worldwide as efficient energy conversion devices.Great efforts have been made in the area of designing and developing phosphoric acid(PA)-base...High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs)are pursued worldwide as efficient energy conversion devices.Great efforts have been made in the area of designing and developing phosphoric acid(PA)-based proton exchange membrane(PEM)of HT-PEMFCs.This review focuses on recent advances in the limitations of acid-based PEM(acid leaching,oxidative degradation,and mechanical degradation)and the approaches mitigating the membrane degradation.Preparing multilayer or polymers with continuous network,adding hygroscopic inorganic materials,and introducing PA doping sites or covalent interactions with PA can effectively reduce acid leaching.Membrane oxidative degradation can be alleviated by synthesizing crosslinked or branched polymers,and introducing antioxidative groups or highly oxidative stable materials.Crosslinking to get a compact structure,blending with stable polymers and inorganic materials,preparing polymer with high molecular weight,and fabricating the polymer with PA doping sites away from backbones,are recommended to improve the membrane mechanical strength.Also,by comparing the running hours and decay rate,three current approaches,1.crosslinking via thermally curing or polymeric crosslinker,2.incorporating hygroscopic inorganic materials,3.increasing membrane layers or introducing strong basic groups and electron-withdrawing groups,have been concluded to be promising approaches to improve the durability of HT-PEMFCs.The overall aim of this review is to explore the existing degradation challenges and opportunities to serve as a solid basis for the deployment in the fuel cell market.展开更多
Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel ce...Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),however suffer from low site density of active Fe-N4 moiety and limited mass transport during the catalytic reaction.To address these challenges,we report a three-dimensional(3D) metal-organic frameworks(MOF)-derived Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst.In this well-designed Fe-N-C catalyst,the micro-scale interconnected skeleton,the nano-scale ordered pores and the atomic-scale abundant carbon edge defects inside the skeleton significantly enhance the site density of active Fe-N4 moiety,thus improving the Fe utilization in the final catalyst.Moreover,the combination of the above mentioned micro-and nano-scale structures greatly facilitates the mass transport in the 3D Fe-N-C catalyst.Therefore,the multiscale engineered Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst achieves excellent ORR performance under acidic condition and affords a significantly enhanced current density and power density in PEMFC.Our findings may open new opportunities for the rational design of FeN-C catalysts through multiscale structural engineering.展开更多
In this study,nitrogen doped electrochemically exfoliated reduced graphene oxide and carbon black supported platinum(Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3))has been prepared to enhance the performance and durability of hightemperature ...In this study,nitrogen doped electrochemically exfoliated reduced graphene oxide and carbon black supported platinum(Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3))has been prepared to enhance the performance and durability of hightemperature PEMFCs with lower Pt loading.On the one hand,Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)with the strong interaction between the Pt and nitrogen(N)prevent agglomeration of Pt particles and Pt particles is 5.46±1.46 nm,which is smaller than that of 6.78±1.34 nm in Pt/C.Meanwhile,ECSA of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)decrease 13.65%after AST,which is much lower than that of 97.99%in Pt/C.On the other hand,the Nr EGO flakes in MEAac act as a barrier to mitigate phosphoric acid redistribution,which improves the formation of triple-phase boundaries(TPBs)and gives stable operation of the MEAacwith a lower decay rate of 0.02 mV h^(-1)within100 h.After steady-state operation,the maximum power density of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)(0.411 W cm^(-2))is three times higher than that of conventional Pt/C(0.134 W cm^(-2))in high-temperature PEMFCs.After AST,the mass transfer resistance of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)electrode(0.560Ωcm^(2))is lower than that in Pt/C(0.728Ωcm^(2)).展开更多
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are regarded as one of the most promising clean energy technology because of their high energy density,silent emission-free operation,and wide applications[1].Recently,anion ...Proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are regarded as one of the most promising clean energy technology because of their high energy density,silent emission-free operation,and wide applications[1].Recently,anion exchange membrane fuel cells(AEMFCs)has emerged as an alternative to PEMFCs.展开更多
The variation of the three-dimensional(3D)structure of the membrane electrode of a fuel cell during proton exchange cycling involves the corrosion/compaction of the carbon support.The increasing degradation of the car...The variation of the three-dimensional(3D)structure of the membrane electrode of a fuel cell during proton exchange cycling involves the corrosion/compaction of the carbon support.The increasing degradation of the carbon structure continuously reduces the electrocatalytic performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEM-FCs).This phenomenon can be explained by performing 3D tomographic analysis at the nanoscale.However,conventional tomographic approaches which present limited experimental feasibility,cannot perform such evaluation and have not provided sufficient structural information with statistical significance thus far.Therefore,a reliable methodology is required for the 3D geometrical evaluation of the carbon structure.Here,we propose a segmented tomographic approach which employs pore network analysis that enables the visualization of the geometrical parameters corresponding to the porous carbon structure at a high resolution.This approach can be utilized to evaluate the 3D structural degradation of the porous carbon structure after cycling in terms of local surface area,pore size distribution,and their 3D networking.These geometrical parameters of the carbon body were demonstrated to be substantially reduced owing to the cycling-induced degradation.This information enables a deeper understanding of the degradation phenomenon of carbon supports and can contribute to the development of stable PEM-FC electrodes.展开更多
Bridging the performance gap of the electrocatalyst between the rotating disk electrode(RDE) and membrane electrode assembly(MEA) level testing is the key to reducing the total cost of proton exchange membrane fuel ce...Bridging the performance gap of the electrocatalyst between the rotating disk electrode(RDE) and membrane electrode assembly(MEA) level testing is the key to reducing the total cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) vehicles. Presently, platinum metal accounts for ~42% of the total cost of the PEMFC vehicles for usage in the cathode catalyst layer, where the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) occurs. An alternative to the platinum catalyst, the Fe-N-C catalyst has attracted considerable interest for PEMFC due to its cost-effectiveness and high catalytic activity towards ORR. However, the excellent ORR activity of Fe-N-C obtained from RDE studies rarely translates the same performance into MEA operating conditions. Such a performance gap is mainly attributed to the lack of atomic-level understanding of Fe-N-C active sites and their ORR mechanism. Besides, unless the cost of expensive electrocatalyst is reduced, the total operation cost of the PEMFC vehicles remains constant. Therefore,developing highly efficient Fe-N-C catalysts from academic and industrial perspectives is critical for commercializing PEMFC vehicles. Here, the scope of the review is three-fold. First, we discussed the atomiclevel insights of Fe-N-C active sites and ORR mechanism, followed by unraveling the different iron-based nanostructured ORR electrocatalysts, including oxide, carbide, nitride, phosphide, sulfide, and singleatom catalysts. And then we bridged their ORR catalytic performance gap between the RDE and MEA tests for real operating conditions of PEMFC vehicles. Second, we focused on bridging the cost barriers of PEMFC vehicles between capital, operation, and end-user. Finally, we provided the path to achieve sustainable development goals by commercializing PEMFC vehicles for a better world.展开更多
Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure ...Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure of catalyst layers with efficient mass transportation channels plays a vital role.Herein,PEMFCs with order-structured cathodic electrodes were fabricated by depositing Pt nanoparticles by Ebeam onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)growth on Al foil via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.Results demonstrate that the proportion of hydrophilic Pt-deposited region along VACNTs and residual hydrophobic region of VANCTs without Pt strongly influences the cell performance,in particular at high current densities.When Pt nanoparticles deposit on the top depth of around 600 nm on VACNTs with a length of 4.6μm,the cell shows the highest performance,compared with others with various lengths of VACNTs.It delivers a maximum power output of 1.61 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/O_(2),150 k Pa)and 0.79 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/Air,150 k Pa)at Pt loading of 50μg cm^(-2),exceeding most of previously reported PEMFCs with Pt loading of<100μg cm^(-2).Even though the Pt loading is down to 30μg cm^(-2)(1.36 W cm^(-2)),the performance is also better than 100μg cm^(-2)(1.24 W cm^(-2))of commercial Pt/C,and presents better stability.This excellent performance is critical attributed to the ordered hydrophobic region providing sufficient mass passages to facilitate the fast water drainage at high current densities.This work gives a new understanding for oxygen reduction reaction occurred in VACNTs-based ordered electrodes,demonstrating the most possibility to achieve a substantial reduction in Pt loading<100μg cm^(-2) without sacrificing in performance.展开更多
Hierarchically porous architecture of ir on-nitroge n-carb on(Fe-N-C)for oxyge n reducti on reaction(ORR)is highly desired towards efficient mass transfer in the fuel cell device manner.Herein,we reported a binary lig...Hierarchically porous architecture of ir on-nitroge n-carb on(Fe-N-C)for oxyge n reducti on reaction(ORR)is highly desired towards efficient mass transfer in the fuel cell device manner.Herein,we reported a binary ligand strategy to prepare zeolitic imidazolate frameworks(ZIFs)-derived precursors,wherein the addition of secondary ligand endows precursors with the capabilities to transform into porously interweaved encapsulation-nanotubes structured composites after calcination.The optimal catalyst,i.e.,termed as Fe_(6)-M/C-3,exhibits excellent durability with 88.8%current retention after 50,000 seconds in 0.1 M HClO_(4)solution by virtue of nanoparticles-encapsulation features,which is more positive than the benchmark commercial 20 wt%Pt/C catalyst.Moreover,a promising maximum power density of Fe_(6)-M/C-3 as cathode catalyst was also dem on strated in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)measurements.Therefore,this binary ligand approach to the fabrication of hierarchically porous structures would also have significant implications for various other electrochemical reactions.展开更多
Nafion-stabilized Pt nanoparticle colloidal solution is synthesized through ethylene glycol reduction.Pt/Nafion added with carbon black as electric conduction material（labeled Pt/Nafion-XC72） shows excellent electro...Nafion-stabilized Pt nanoparticle colloidal solution is synthesized through ethylene glycol reduction.Pt/Nafion added with carbon black as electric conduction material（labeled Pt/Nafion-XC72） shows excellent electrochemical property compared with Pt/C.After a 300-cycle discharging durability test,the cell performance of membrane electrode assembly（MEA） with the Pt/Nafion-XC72 and Pt/C catalysts indicates a 29.9% and 92.2% decrease,respectively.The charge transfer resistances of Pt/Nafion-XC72 and Pt/C increase by 27.2% and 101.9%,respectively.The remaining electrochemically active surface area of Pt is about 61.7% in Pt/Nafion-XC72 and about 38.1% in Pt/C after the durability test.The particle size of Pt/C increases from about 5.1 nm to about 10.8 nm but only from 3.6 nm to 5.8 nm in the case of Pt/Nafion-XC72.These data suggest that Pt/Nafion-XC72 as a catalyst can enhance the durability of PEMFCs compared with Pt/C.展开更多
The hydrogen production from methane for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was studied experimentally. The conversion rate of methane under different steam carbon ratios, the effect of the different excess ai...The hydrogen production from methane for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was studied experimentally. The conversion rate of methane under different steam carbon ratios, the effect of the different excess air ratios on the constituents of the gas produced, the permeability of hydrogen under different pressure differences, and the effect of different system pressure on the reaction enthalpy of hydrogen were obtained. The results lay the basis for the production of hydrogen applicable to PEMFC, moreover, provide a new way for the comprehensive utilization of the coal bed methane.展开更多
Urgent requirements of the renewable energy boost the development of stable and clean hydrogen,which could effectively displace fossil fuels in mitigating climate changes.The efficient interconversion of hydrogen and ...Urgent requirements of the renewable energy boost the development of stable and clean hydrogen,which could effectively displace fossil fuels in mitigating climate changes.The efficient interconversion of hydrogen and electronic is highly based on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and water electrolysis(PEMWEs).However,the high cost continues to impede large-scale commercialization of both PEMFC and PEMWE technologies,with the expense primarily attributed to noble catalysts serving as a major bottleneck.The reduction of Pt loading in PEMFCs is essential but limited by the oxygen transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layers(CCLs),while the oxygen transport in anode catalyst layers(ACLs)in PEMWEs also being focused as the Ir/IrO_(x) catalyst reduced.The pore structure and the catalyst-ionomer agglomerates play important roles in the oxygen transport process of both PEMFCs and PEMWEs due to the similarity of membrane electrode assembly(MEA).Herein,the oxygen transport mechanism of PEMFCs in pore structure and ionomer thin films in CCLs is systematically reviewed,while state-of-the-art strategies are presented for enhancing oxygen transport and performance through materials and structural design.The deeply research opens avenues for exploring similar key scientific problems in oxygen transport process of PEMWEs and their further development.展开更多
The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxyg...The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.展开更多
Several crosslinked proton exchange membranes with high proton conductivities and low methanol permeability coefficients were prepared, based on the sulfonated poly[(4-fluorophenoxy)(phenoxy)] phosphazene(SPFPP) and n...Several crosslinked proton exchange membranes with high proton conductivities and low methanol permeability coefficients were prepared, based on the sulfonated poly[(4-fluorophenoxy)(phenoxy)] phosphazene(SPFPP) and newly synthesized water soluble sulfonated poly(cyclophosphazene)(SPCP) containing clustered flexible pendant sulfonic acids. The structure of SPCP was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and ~1H NMR spectra. The membranes showed moderate proton conductivities and much lower methanol permeability coefficients when compared to Nafion 117. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) results indicated the well-defined phase separation between the locally and densely sulfonated units and hydrophobic units, which induced efficient proton conduction. In comparison with SPFPP membrane, the proton conductivities, oxidative stabilities and mechanical properties of crosslinked membranes remarkably were improved. The selectivity values of all the crosslinked membranes were also much higher than that of Nafion 117(0.74×10~5S· s/cm~3). These results suggested that the c SPFPP/SPCP membranes were promising candidate materials for proton exchange membrane in direct methanol fuel cells.展开更多
As a promising alternative to petroleum fossil energy,polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell has drawn considerable attention due to its low pollution emission,high energy density,portability,and long operation times....As a promising alternative to petroleum fossil energy,polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell has drawn considerable attention due to its low pollution emission,high energy density,portability,and long operation times.Proton exchange membrane(PEM)like Nafion plays an essential role as the core of fuel cell.A good PEM must have satisfactory performance such as high proton conductivity,excellent mechanical strength,electrochemical stability,and suitable for making membrane electrode assemblies(MEA).However,performance degradation and high permeability remain the main shortcomings of Nafion.Therefore,the development of a new PEM with better performance in some special conditions is greatly desired.In this review,we aim to summarize the latest achievements in improving the Nafion performance that works well under elevated temperature or methanol-fueled systems.The methods described in this article can be divided into some categories,utilizing hydrophilic inorganic material,metal-organic frameworks,nanocomposites,and ionic liquids.In addition,the mechanism of proton conduction in Nafion membranes is discussed.These composite membranes exhibit some desirable characteristics,but the development is still at an early stage.In the future,revolutionary approaches are needed to accelerate the application of fuel cells and promote the renewal of energy structure.展开更多
High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFC) possess distinct technical advantages of high output power, simplified water/heat management, increased tolerance to fuel impurities and diverse fuel sour...High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFC) possess distinct technical advantages of high output power, simplified water/heat management, increased tolerance to fuel impurities and diverse fuel sources, within the temperature range of 120–200 ℃. However, for practical automobile applications, it was crucial to broaden their low-temperature operating window and enable cold start-up capability. Herein, gel-state phosphoric acid(PA) doped sulfonated polybenzimidazole(PBI) proton exchange membranes(PEMs) were designed and synthesized via PPA sol-gel process and in-situ sultone ring-opening reactions with various proton transport pathways based on absorbed PA, flexible alkyl chain connected sulfonic acid groups and imidazole sites. The effects of flexible alkyl sulfonic acid side chain length and content on PA doping level, proton conductivity, and membrane stability under different temperature and relative humidity(RH) were thoroughly investigated. The prepared gel-state membranes contained a self-assembled lamellar and porous structure that facilitated the absorption of a large amount of PA with rapid proton transporting mechanisms. At room temperature, the optimized membrane exhibited a proton conductivity of 0.069 S cm^(-1), which was further increased to 0.162 and 0.358 S cm^(-1)at 80 and 200 ℃, respectively, without additional humidification. The most significant contribution of this work was demonstrating the feasibility of gel-state sulfonated PBI membranes in expanding HT-PEMFC application opportunities over a wider operating range of 25 to 240 ℃.展开更多
Two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets(CONs)with ultrathin thickness and porous crystalline nature show substantial potential as novel membrane materials.However,bringing CONs materials into flexible me...Two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets(CONs)with ultrathin thickness and porous crystalline nature show substantial potential as novel membrane materials.However,bringing CONs materials into flexible membrane form is a monumental challenge due to the limitation of weak interactions among CONs.Herein,one-dimensional silk nanofibrils(SNFs)from silkworm cocoon are designed as the nanobinder to link sulfonated CON(SCON)into robust SCON-based membrane through vacuum-filtration method.Ultrathin and large lateral-sized SCONs are synthesized via bottom-up interface-confined synthesis approach.Benefiting from high length-diameter ratio of SNF and rich functional groups in both SNF and SCON,two-dimensional(2D)SCONs are effectively connected together by physical entanglement and strong H-bond interactions.The resultant SCON/SNF membrane displays dense structure,high mechanical integrity and good stability.Importantly,the rigid porous nanochannels of SCON,high-concentration-SO3H groups insides the pores and H-bonds at SCON-SNF interfaces impart SCON/SNF membrane high-rate proton transfer pathways.Consequently,a superior proton conductivity of 365 mS cm^(-1)is achieved at 80C and 100%RH by SCON/SNF membrane.This work offers a promising approach for connecting 2D CON materials into flexible membrane as high-performance solid electrolyte for hydrogen fuel cell and may be applied in membrane-related other fields.展开更多
基金UKRI financial support under grant number EP/Y026098/1 for Global Hydrogen Production Technologies(HyPT)Center。
文摘Anion-exchange membrane water electrolysers(AEMWEs)and fuel cells(AEMFCs)are critical technologies for converting renewable resources into green hydrogen(H_(2)),where anion-exchange membranes(AEMs)play a vital role in efficiently transporting hydroxide ions(OH^(-))and minimizing fuel crossover,thus enhancing overall efficiency.While conventional AEMs with linear,side-chain,and block polymer architectures show promise through functionalization,their long-term performance remains a concern.To address this,hyperbranched polymers offer a promising alternative due to their three-dimensional structure,higher terminal functionality,and ease of functionalization.This unique architecture provides interconnected ion transport pathways,fractional free volume,and enhanced long-term stability in alkaline environments.Recent studies have achieved conductivities as high as 304.5 mS cm^(-1),attributed to their improved fractional free volume and microphase separation in hyperbranched AEMs.This review explores the chemical,mechanical,and ionic properties of hyperbranched AEMs in AEMFCs and assesses their potential for application in AEMWEs.Strategies such as blending and structural functionalisation have significantly improved the properties by promoting microphase separation and increasing the density of cationic groups on the polymer surface.The review provides essential insights for future research,highlighting the challenges and opportunities in developing high-performance hyperbranched AEMs to advance hydrogen energy infrastructure.
基金supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering,United Kingdom
文摘An extensive study has been conducted on the proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） with reducing Pt loading. This is commonly achieved by developing methods to increase the utilization of the platinum in the catalyst layer of the electrodes. In this paper, a novel process of the catalyst layers was introduced and investigated. A mixture of carbon powder and Nafion solution was sprayed on the glassy carbon electrode （GCE） to form a thin carbon layer. Then Pt particles were deposited on the surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic （IV） acid hexahydrate with methanoic acid. SEM images showed a continuous Pt gradient profile among the thickness direction of the catalytic layer by the novel method. The Pt nanowires grown are in the size of 3 nm （diameter） x l0 nm （length） by high solution TEM image. The novel catalyst layer was characterized by cyclic voltammetry （CV） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） as compared with commercial Pt/C black and Pt catalyst layer obtained from sputtering. The results showed that the platinum nanoparticles deposited on the carbon powder were highly utilized as they directly faced the gas diffusion layer and offered easy access to reactants （oxygen or hydrogen）.
基金financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (no. 2012CB215500)the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China (no. 2015BAG06B00)+1 种基金Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 61433013)National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 21206012)
文摘Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Fundation of China(No.51125007)the National Basic Research Program(No.2012CB215500)
文摘Pt/WO3/C nanocomposites with parallel WO3 nanorods were synthesized and applied as the cathode catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs）. Electrochemical results and single cell tests show that an enhanced activity for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） is obtained for the Pt/WO3/C catalyst compared with Pt/C. The higher catalytic activity might be ascribed to the improved Pt dispersion with smaller particle sizes. The Pt/WO3/C catalyst also exhibits a good electrochemical stability under potential cycling. Thus, the Pt/WO3/C catalyst can be used as a potential PEMFC cathode catalyst.
基金funded by the UK Research Council EPSRC EP/009050/1。
文摘High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs)are pursued worldwide as efficient energy conversion devices.Great efforts have been made in the area of designing and developing phosphoric acid(PA)-based proton exchange membrane(PEM)of HT-PEMFCs.This review focuses on recent advances in the limitations of acid-based PEM(acid leaching,oxidative degradation,and mechanical degradation)and the approaches mitigating the membrane degradation.Preparing multilayer or polymers with continuous network,adding hygroscopic inorganic materials,and introducing PA doping sites or covalent interactions with PA can effectively reduce acid leaching.Membrane oxidative degradation can be alleviated by synthesizing crosslinked or branched polymers,and introducing antioxidative groups or highly oxidative stable materials.Crosslinking to get a compact structure,blending with stable polymers and inorganic materials,preparing polymer with high molecular weight,and fabricating the polymer with PA doping sites away from backbones,are recommended to improve the membrane mechanical strength.Also,by comparing the running hours and decay rate,three current approaches,1.crosslinking via thermally curing or polymeric crosslinker,2.incorporating hygroscopic inorganic materials,3.increasing membrane layers or introducing strong basic groups and electron-withdrawing groups,have been concluded to be promising approaches to improve the durability of HT-PEMFCs.The overall aim of this review is to explore the existing degradation challenges and opportunities to serve as a solid basis for the deployment in the fuel cell market.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51722103,52071231 and 51571149)the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City(19JCJQJC61900)。
文摘Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),however suffer from low site density of active Fe-N4 moiety and limited mass transport during the catalytic reaction.To address these challenges,we report a three-dimensional(3D) metal-organic frameworks(MOF)-derived Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst.In this well-designed Fe-N-C catalyst,the micro-scale interconnected skeleton,the nano-scale ordered pores and the atomic-scale abundant carbon edge defects inside the skeleton significantly enhance the site density of active Fe-N4 moiety,thus improving the Fe utilization in the final catalyst.Moreover,the combination of the above mentioned micro-and nano-scale structures greatly facilitates the mass transport in the 3D Fe-N-C catalyst.Therefore,the multiscale engineered Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst achieves excellent ORR performance under acidic condition and affords a significantly enhanced current density and power density in PEMFC.Our findings may open new opportunities for the rational design of FeN-C catalysts through multiscale structural engineering.
基金supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EPSRC)(EP/P009050/1 and EP/S021531/1)Tthe Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials,funded through the EPSRC grants(EP/R00661X/1,EP/S019367/1,EP/P025021/1 and EP/P025498/1)。
文摘In this study,nitrogen doped electrochemically exfoliated reduced graphene oxide and carbon black supported platinum(Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3))has been prepared to enhance the performance and durability of hightemperature PEMFCs with lower Pt loading.On the one hand,Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)with the strong interaction between the Pt and nitrogen(N)prevent agglomeration of Pt particles and Pt particles is 5.46±1.46 nm,which is smaller than that of 6.78±1.34 nm in Pt/C.Meanwhile,ECSA of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)decrease 13.65%after AST,which is much lower than that of 97.99%in Pt/C.On the other hand,the Nr EGO flakes in MEAac act as a barrier to mitigate phosphoric acid redistribution,which improves the formation of triple-phase boundaries(TPBs)and gives stable operation of the MEAacwith a lower decay rate of 0.02 mV h^(-1)within100 h.After steady-state operation,the maximum power density of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)(0.411 W cm^(-2))is three times higher than that of conventional Pt/C(0.134 W cm^(-2))in high-temperature PEMFCs.After AST,the mass transfer resistance of Pt/Nr EGO_(2)-CB_(3)electrode(0.560Ωcm^(2))is lower than that in Pt/C(0.728Ωcm^(2)).
文摘Proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are regarded as one of the most promising clean energy technology because of their high energy density,silent emission-free operation,and wide applications[1].Recently,anion exchange membrane fuel cells(AEMFCs)has emerged as an alternative to PEMFCs.
基金supported by the Technology Innovation Program(No.20011712)funded by the Ministry of Trade,Industry&Energy(MOTIE,Korea)supported by Advanced Facility Center for Quantum Technology in SKKUthe National R&D Program through the National Research Foundation of Koera(NRF)funded by Ministry of Science and ICT(No.2020M3F3A2A01082618)。
文摘The variation of the three-dimensional(3D)structure of the membrane electrode of a fuel cell during proton exchange cycling involves the corrosion/compaction of the carbon support.The increasing degradation of the carbon structure continuously reduces the electrocatalytic performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEM-FCs).This phenomenon can be explained by performing 3D tomographic analysis at the nanoscale.However,conventional tomographic approaches which present limited experimental feasibility,cannot perform such evaluation and have not provided sufficient structural information with statistical significance thus far.Therefore,a reliable methodology is required for the 3D geometrical evaluation of the carbon structure.Here,we propose a segmented tomographic approach which employs pore network analysis that enables the visualization of the geometrical parameters corresponding to the porous carbon structure at a high resolution.This approach can be utilized to evaluate the 3D structural degradation of the porous carbon structure after cycling in terms of local surface area,pore size distribution,and their 3D networking.These geometrical parameters of the carbon body were demonstrated to be substantially reduced owing to the cycling-induced degradation.This information enables a deeper understanding of the degradation phenomenon of carbon supports and can contribute to the development of stable PEM-FC electrodes.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundations of China (21374008)the Beijing Forbidden City Scholarship (2018420021)。
文摘Bridging the performance gap of the electrocatalyst between the rotating disk electrode(RDE) and membrane electrode assembly(MEA) level testing is the key to reducing the total cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) vehicles. Presently, platinum metal accounts for ~42% of the total cost of the PEMFC vehicles for usage in the cathode catalyst layer, where the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) occurs. An alternative to the platinum catalyst, the Fe-N-C catalyst has attracted considerable interest for PEMFC due to its cost-effectiveness and high catalytic activity towards ORR. However, the excellent ORR activity of Fe-N-C obtained from RDE studies rarely translates the same performance into MEA operating conditions. Such a performance gap is mainly attributed to the lack of atomic-level understanding of Fe-N-C active sites and their ORR mechanism. Besides, unless the cost of expensive electrocatalyst is reduced, the total operation cost of the PEMFC vehicles remains constant. Therefore,developing highly efficient Fe-N-C catalysts from academic and industrial perspectives is critical for commercializing PEMFC vehicles. Here, the scope of the review is three-fold. First, we discussed the atomiclevel insights of Fe-N-C active sites and ORR mechanism, followed by unraveling the different iron-based nanostructured ORR electrocatalysts, including oxide, carbide, nitride, phosphide, sulfide, and singleatom catalysts. And then we bridged their ORR catalytic performance gap between the RDE and MEA tests for real operating conditions of PEMFC vehicles. Second, we focused on bridging the cost barriers of PEMFC vehicles between capital, operation, and end-user. Finally, we provided the path to achieve sustainable development goals by commercializing PEMFC vehicles for a better world.
基金finically supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22075055)the Guangxi Science and Technology Project(AB16380030)the Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education(YCSW2020052)。
文摘Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure of catalyst layers with efficient mass transportation channels plays a vital role.Herein,PEMFCs with order-structured cathodic electrodes were fabricated by depositing Pt nanoparticles by Ebeam onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)growth on Al foil via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.Results demonstrate that the proportion of hydrophilic Pt-deposited region along VACNTs and residual hydrophobic region of VANCTs without Pt strongly influences the cell performance,in particular at high current densities.When Pt nanoparticles deposit on the top depth of around 600 nm on VACNTs with a length of 4.6μm,the cell shows the highest performance,compared with others with various lengths of VACNTs.It delivers a maximum power output of 1.61 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/O_(2),150 k Pa)and 0.79 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/Air,150 k Pa)at Pt loading of 50μg cm^(-2),exceeding most of previously reported PEMFCs with Pt loading of<100μg cm^(-2).Even though the Pt loading is down to 30μg cm^(-2)(1.36 W cm^(-2)),the performance is also better than 100μg cm^(-2)(1.24 W cm^(-2))of commercial Pt/C,and presents better stability.This excellent performance is critical attributed to the ordered hydrophobic region providing sufficient mass passages to facilitate the fast water drainage at high current densities.This work gives a new understanding for oxygen reduction reaction occurred in VACNTs-based ordered electrodes,demonstrating the most possibility to achieve a substantial reduction in Pt loading<100μg cm^(-2) without sacrificing in performance.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFA0210300)the NSF of China (21922802)+3 种基金the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (JQ19007)Talent cultivation and open project (OIC- 201801007) of State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites“Double-First-Class” construction projects (XK180301, XK180402)Distinguished Scientist Program at BUCT (buctylkxj02)。
文摘Hierarchically porous architecture of ir on-nitroge n-carb on(Fe-N-C)for oxyge n reducti on reaction(ORR)is highly desired towards efficient mass transfer in the fuel cell device manner.Herein,we reported a binary ligand strategy to prepare zeolitic imidazolate frameworks(ZIFs)-derived precursors,wherein the addition of secondary ligand endows precursors with the capabilities to transform into porously interweaved encapsulation-nanotubes structured composites after calcination.The optimal catalyst,i.e.,termed as Fe_(6)-M/C-3,exhibits excellent durability with 88.8%current retention after 50,000 seconds in 0.1 M HClO_(4)solution by virtue of nanoparticles-encapsulation features,which is more positive than the benchmark commercial 20 wt%Pt/C catalyst.Moreover,a promising maximum power density of Fe_(6)-M/C-3 as cathode catalyst was also dem on strated in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)measurements.Therefore,this binary ligand approach to the fabrication of hierarchically porous structures would also have significant implications for various other electrochemical reactions.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,Grant No.2012CB215500the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China(863 Plan)(No.2012AA052002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21406024)
文摘Nafion-stabilized Pt nanoparticle colloidal solution is synthesized through ethylene glycol reduction.Pt/Nafion added with carbon black as electric conduction material（labeled Pt/Nafion-XC72） shows excellent electrochemical property compared with Pt/C.After a 300-cycle discharging durability test,the cell performance of membrane electrode assembly（MEA） with the Pt/Nafion-XC72 and Pt/C catalysts indicates a 29.9% and 92.2% decrease,respectively.The charge transfer resistances of Pt/Nafion-XC72 and Pt/C increase by 27.2% and 101.9%,respectively.The remaining electrochemically active surface area of Pt is about 61.7% in Pt/Nafion-XC72 and about 38.1% in Pt/C after the durability test.The particle size of Pt/C increases from about 5.1 nm to about 10.8 nm but only from 3.6 nm to 5.8 nm in the case of Pt/Nafion-XC72.These data suggest that Pt/Nafion-XC72 as a catalyst can enhance the durability of PEMFCs compared with Pt/C.
文摘The hydrogen production from methane for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was studied experimentally. The conversion rate of methane under different steam carbon ratios, the effect of the different excess air ratios on the constituents of the gas produced, the permeability of hydrogen under different pressure differences, and the effect of different system pressure on the reaction enthalpy of hydrogen were obtained. The results lay the basis for the production of hydrogen applicable to PEMFC, moreover, provide a new way for the comprehensive utilization of the coal bed methane.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2021YFB4001305).
文摘Urgent requirements of the renewable energy boost the development of stable and clean hydrogen,which could effectively displace fossil fuels in mitigating climate changes.The efficient interconversion of hydrogen and electronic is highly based on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and water electrolysis(PEMWEs).However,the high cost continues to impede large-scale commercialization of both PEMFC and PEMWE technologies,with the expense primarily attributed to noble catalysts serving as a major bottleneck.The reduction of Pt loading in PEMFCs is essential but limited by the oxygen transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layers(CCLs),while the oxygen transport in anode catalyst layers(ACLs)in PEMWEs also being focused as the Ir/IrO_(x) catalyst reduced.The pore structure and the catalyst-ionomer agglomerates play important roles in the oxygen transport process of both PEMFCs and PEMWEs due to the similarity of membrane electrode assembly(MEA).Herein,the oxygen transport mechanism of PEMFCs in pore structure and ionomer thin films in CCLs is systematically reviewed,while state-of-the-art strategies are presented for enhancing oxygen transport and performance through materials and structural design.The deeply research opens avenues for exploring similar key scientific problems in oxygen transport process of PEMWEs and their further development.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21306119)the Key Research and Development Projects in Sichuan Province(2017GZ0397,2017CC0017)+1 种基金the Science and Technology Project of Chengdu(2015-HM01-00531-SF)the Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation of Sichuan University(2013SCU04A23)
文摘The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.
文摘Several crosslinked proton exchange membranes with high proton conductivities and low methanol permeability coefficients were prepared, based on the sulfonated poly[(4-fluorophenoxy)(phenoxy)] phosphazene(SPFPP) and newly synthesized water soluble sulfonated poly(cyclophosphazene)(SPCP) containing clustered flexible pendant sulfonic acids. The structure of SPCP was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and ~1H NMR spectra. The membranes showed moderate proton conductivities and much lower methanol permeability coefficients when compared to Nafion 117. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) results indicated the well-defined phase separation between the locally and densely sulfonated units and hydrophobic units, which induced efficient proton conduction. In comparison with SPFPP membrane, the proton conductivities, oxidative stabilities and mechanical properties of crosslinked membranes remarkably were improved. The selectivity values of all the crosslinked membranes were also much higher than that of Nafion 117(0.74×10~5S· s/cm~3). These results suggested that the c SPFPP/SPCP membranes were promising candidate materials for proton exchange membrane in direct methanol fuel cells.
基金supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.2202034)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21978024)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2019YFB1309703)
文摘As a promising alternative to petroleum fossil energy,polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell has drawn considerable attention due to its low pollution emission,high energy density,portability,and long operation times.Proton exchange membrane(PEM)like Nafion plays an essential role as the core of fuel cell.A good PEM must have satisfactory performance such as high proton conductivity,excellent mechanical strength,electrochemical stability,and suitable for making membrane electrode assemblies(MEA).However,performance degradation and high permeability remain the main shortcomings of Nafion.Therefore,the development of a new PEM with better performance in some special conditions is greatly desired.In this review,we aim to summarize the latest achievements in improving the Nafion performance that works well under elevated temperature or methanol-fueled systems.The methods described in this article can be divided into some categories,utilizing hydrophilic inorganic material,metal-organic frameworks,nanocomposites,and ionic liquids.In addition,the mechanism of proton conduction in Nafion membranes is discussed.These composite membranes exhibit some desirable characteristics,but the development is still at an early stage.In the future,revolutionary approaches are needed to accelerate the application of fuel cells and promote the renewal of energy structure.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-22209147)。
文摘High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFC) possess distinct technical advantages of high output power, simplified water/heat management, increased tolerance to fuel impurities and diverse fuel sources, within the temperature range of 120–200 ℃. However, for practical automobile applications, it was crucial to broaden their low-temperature operating window and enable cold start-up capability. Herein, gel-state phosphoric acid(PA) doped sulfonated polybenzimidazole(PBI) proton exchange membranes(PEMs) were designed and synthesized via PPA sol-gel process and in-situ sultone ring-opening reactions with various proton transport pathways based on absorbed PA, flexible alkyl chain connected sulfonic acid groups and imidazole sites. The effects of flexible alkyl sulfonic acid side chain length and content on PA doping level, proton conductivity, and membrane stability under different temperature and relative humidity(RH) were thoroughly investigated. The prepared gel-state membranes contained a self-assembled lamellar and porous structure that facilitated the absorption of a large amount of PA with rapid proton transporting mechanisms. At room temperature, the optimized membrane exhibited a proton conductivity of 0.069 S cm^(-1), which was further increased to 0.162 and 0.358 S cm^(-1)at 80 and 200 ℃, respectively, without additional humidification. The most significant contribution of this work was demonstrating the feasibility of gel-state sulfonated PBI membranes in expanding HT-PEMFC application opportunities over a wider operating range of 25 to 240 ℃.
文摘Two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets(CONs)with ultrathin thickness and porous crystalline nature show substantial potential as novel membrane materials.However,bringing CONs materials into flexible membrane form is a monumental challenge due to the limitation of weak interactions among CONs.Herein,one-dimensional silk nanofibrils(SNFs)from silkworm cocoon are designed as the nanobinder to link sulfonated CON(SCON)into robust SCON-based membrane through vacuum-filtration method.Ultrathin and large lateral-sized SCONs are synthesized via bottom-up interface-confined synthesis approach.Benefiting from high length-diameter ratio of SNF and rich functional groups in both SNF and SCON,two-dimensional(2D)SCONs are effectively connected together by physical entanglement and strong H-bond interactions.The resultant SCON/SNF membrane displays dense structure,high mechanical integrity and good stability.Importantly,the rigid porous nanochannels of SCON,high-concentration-SO3H groups insides the pores and H-bonds at SCON-SNF interfaces impart SCON/SNF membrane high-rate proton transfer pathways.Consequently,a superior proton conductivity of 365 mS cm^(-1)is achieved at 80C and 100%RH by SCON/SNF membrane.This work offers a promising approach for connecting 2D CON materials into flexible membrane as high-performance solid electrolyte for hydrogen fuel cell and may be applied in membrane-related other fields.
