Polymer-supported 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate and 1-ethylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate as electrolytes for the high temperature PEM-type fuel cell.
J. Mališ1, P. Mazúr1, J. Schauer2, M. Paidar1, K. Bouzek1
1Ústav anorganické technologie, VŠCHT Praha; 2Ústav makromolekulární chemie AV ČR, v.v.i.
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 38 (2013) 4697-4704. IF: 3,548
Excellency of this result consists in several aspects: (i) preparation of this interesting type of materials has been managed and important interdependencies between the compatibility and structure of the ionic liquids and polymeric support identified, (ii) methodology of characterisation of the membranes prepared was developed and (iii) for the first time the novel membranes were carefully tested in the real laboratory fuel cell. Results achieved represent important input for future directing research in the polymer electrolytes for the high temperature PEM fuel cells technology. This concerns especially modern and often studied solid polymer electrolytes based on the polymer supported ionic liquids. This is an important field of research towards sustainable energy production and storage.
Whereas our colleague from the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, was responsible for the materials synthesis, the ICT Prague team was responsible for the materials testing. It included characterisation of the selected ionic liquids, determination of the prepared membranes morphology by SEM, determination of ionic conductivity of the prepared membrane materials in broad range of conditions (temperature and humidity), development of corresponding gas diffusion electrodes for testing in laboratory fuel cell, testing in the laboratory fuel cell and analysis of the obtained data. On the base of performed analysis feedback to the synthesis group was provided allowing for selection of most promising direction towards new materials synthesis.