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Alternative proton-conducting electrolytes and their electrochemical performances

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Abstract

This study was focused on the performances of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) consisting of the proton–conducting 90PVA/3PWA/4GPTMS/1P2O5/2Gl and 80PVA/10PWA/6GPTMS/2P2O5/2Gl hybrid membranes as electrolytes together with a Pt/C electrode for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The MEAs were fabricated and tested as a function of temperature and humidity, and yielded a current density value of about 350 mA cm−2 at 60 °C and 100% relative humidity (RH) for the membrane electrolyte 80PVA/10PWA/6GPTMS/2P2O5/2Gl. These values were compared with Nafion® membranes, and the single-cell performances based on proton-conducting organic/inorganic hybrid electrolytes were discussed. The test conditions employed were equivalent for each MEA that had an active area of 5 cm2. These hybrid membranes showed a high proton conductivity in the range of 10−3–10−2 S cm−1 at low temperatures, i.e., 60, 80, and 90 °C, and 50%, 75%, and 100% RH.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology of Japan. Professor B. Rambabu and Dr. J. Parrondo express their gratitude to Dr. Robert Mantz (Electrochemistry and Advanced Energy Conversion at the ARO-Chemical Sciences) and to Dr. Thomas L. Reitz (Electrochemistry and Thermal Sciences at the AFRL Wright Patterson Airbase, OH) for supporting the fuel cell research at the SUBR (U.S-DOD grant # W911NF-08-C-0415).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences (RCIS), Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Uma Thanganathan

  2. Solid State Ionics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, 70813, USA

    Javier Parrondo & Bobba Rambabu

Authors
  1. Uma Thanganathan
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  2. Javier Parrondo
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  3. Bobba Rambabu
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Correspondence to Uma Thanganathan.

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Thanganathan, U., Parrondo, J. & Rambabu, B. Alternative proton-conducting electrolytes and their electrochemical performances. J Solid State Electrochem 16, 2151–2158 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1642-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1642-6

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