Nanocomposite Membranes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

The development of green technologies like fuel cell is need of the day because of their zero emission and as an efficient technology to produce electrical energy. Among the different varieties of fuel cells, enhancing the performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is emphasized because of their numerous advantages such as easy portability, less corrosive nature, and leakage-free convenient setup. Generally used Nafion membranes in PEM fuel cells show few limitations such as the inability to work at high temperature and low relative humidity. Nanocomposite membranes play an indispensable role in overcoming these flaws. Incorporating numerous nanoadditives like silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, graphene oxide, zirconium phosphate, heteropolyacids, and metal-organic frameworks into the variety of polymer matrix such as Nafion, sulfonated polybenzimidazole, polysulfone, sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone), and biopolymers involving polyvinyl alcohol, chitosan is assessed with its characteristic properties of proton conductivity, mechanical stability, oxidative stability, and power density. Nanocomposite membranes aid to increase the mechanical stability of the PEMs by the combination of two or more polymer layers and especially with a solid support layer. Development of natural, biodegradable polymer-based PEMs with enhanced proton conducting ability and chemical stability was possible only because of the nanocomposite model; otherwise, it was not possible. Certain hygroscopic inorganic additives improved the water uptake capacity of the nanocomposite membranes even at elevated temperatures. A large pool of nanocomposite membranes that can meet the desired characteristics of PEMs for fuel cell applications is reviewed in detail. © 2023 Scrivener Publishing LLC.