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More sustainable electricity generation in hot and dry fuel cells with a novel hybrid membrane of Nafion/nano-silica/hydroxyl ionic liquid

Li, Yan; Shi, Yan; Mehio, Nada; Tan, Mingsheng; Wang, Zhiyong; Hu, Xiaohong; Chen, George Z.; Dai, Sheng; Jin, Xianbo

Authors

Yan Li

Yan Shi

Nada Mehio

Mingsheng Tan

Zhiyong Wang

Xiaohong Hu

Sheng Dai

Xianbo Jin



Abstract

A new hybrid proton exchange membrane (PEM) has been prepared from hydroxyl functionalized imidazolium ionic liquid (IL-OH), Nafion and nano-SiO2. The IL-OH, with a hydroxyl group that acts as both a proton acceptor and donor, forms strong hydrogen bonds with both Nafion and nano-SiO2, resulting in an effective hydrogen bond network in the ternary membrane. Such an anhydrous hydrogen-bond network, which is unknown previously, endows the PEMs with higher proton conductivity, greater thermal stability and surprisingly a more robust mechanical performance than PEMs consisting of conventional ionic liquids. The resulting PEMs have a tensile strength that is more than twice as strong as recast Nafion and an anhydrous ionic conductivity of ∼55 mS cm−1 at temperatures above 160 °C, with a proton transfer number of ∼0.9. A laboratory assembled H2–O2 fuel cell employing this new PEM delivered a power density of 340 and 420 mW cm−2 at 160 and 180 °C, respectively.

Citation

Li, Y., Shi, Y., Mehio, N., Tan, M., Wang, Z., Hu, X., …Jin, X. (2016). More sustainable electricity generation in hot and dry fuel cells with a novel hybrid membrane of Nafion/nano-silica/hydroxyl ionic liquid. Applied Energy, 175, 451-458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.03.075

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 17, 2016
Online Publication Date Mar 24, 2016
Publication Date Aug 1, 2016
Deposit Date Jun 6, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Applied Energy
Print ISSN 0306-2619
Electronic ISSN 0306-2619
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 175
Pages 451-458
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.03.075
Keywords General Energy; Mechanical Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law; Building and Construction
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/797764
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.03.075

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