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Title:NEW PEM FUEL CELL MEMBRANES FOR HIGHER TEMPERATURE, DRIER OPERATING CONDITIONS BASED ON THE HETEROPOLYACIDS
DOI No:10.1142/9789812838025_0026
Source:MATERIALS ISSUES IN A HYDROGEN ECONOMY (pp 273-281)
Author(s):ANDREW M. HERRING
Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

NICCOLO V. AIETA
Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

MEI-CHEN KUO
Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

JAMES L. HORAN
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

STEVEN F. DEC
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

MATTHEW H. FREY
3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

ANITHA GENUPUR
3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

LUCY REN
3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

STEVEN J. HAMROCK
3M Fuel Cell Components Program, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

MICHAEL A. YANDRASITS
3M Fuel Cell Components Program, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

GREGORY M. HAUGEN
3M Fuel Cell Components Program, 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA

Abstract:We are developing new proton exchange membranes for hotter and drier operating conditions in fuel cells. The materials we are developing are based on the interaction between the heteropoly acids (HPAs) and the proton donating groups in polymers. One set of materials are composite membranes taking advantage of the HPAs and perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomers. These composite membranes have superior proton conductivity compared to the native ionomer under hotter and drier conditions and additionally appear to be more durable under the harsh oxidizing environment of the PEM fuel cell. In another set of materials HPAs are functionalized with monomers which are co-polymerized with monomers that donate protons and add structural features to the hybrid films. While we are yet to fabricate a "polyPOM" with superior proton conductivity these materials can be made to conduct protons as well as standard PFSAs without the need for sulfonic acids.
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