☆ 4.6 Article

Magnetic aligned sulfonated carbon nanotube/Nafion composite membranes with anisotropic mechanical and proton conductive properties

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE (2021)

Journal

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE

Volume 56, Issue 11, Pages 6764-6779

Publisher

SPRINGER

DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-05678-0

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [11875209, 11947109, 12075172]
National Key R&D Program of China [2019YFA0210003]

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Abstract

The study found that Nafion composite membranes with Su-CNTs recast in a strong magnetic field exhibited anisotropic mechanical properties and proton conductivity, which strongly depended on water uptake, temperature, and the content of Su-CNTs. The proton conductivity of the composite membranes showed a different dependence on Su-CNT content, relative humidities, and temperatures, which was attributed to proton transportation along orientated Su-CNTs in specific water uptake conditions.

Nafion composite membranes with various amounts of sulfonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Su-CNTs) were prepared either in or without a strong magnetic field. Interestingly, it is found that being recast in a strong magnetic field, the tensile strength at break and proton conductivity of Su-CNTs/Nafion composite membranes parallel to the magnetic field direction were higher than those perpendicular to magnetic field. Remarkably, such anisotropic mechanical property and proton conductivity of Su-CNTs/Nafion composite membranes strongly depend on water uptake and temperature, in particular the content of Su-CNTs. Quite a different dependence of the proton conductivity of the composite membranes on Su-CNT content, relative humidities and temperatures is well explained for the anisotropic proton conductivity of the Su-CNTs/Nafion membrane recast in a strong magnetic field, which is attributed to the preferential proton transporting along ionic water channels mainly coalesced by the orientated Su-CNTs at a specific water uptake. For Nafion composite membranes with 5 wt.% Su-CNTs, the proton conductivity along the direction of treating magnetic field approaches to 0.216 S/cm, which is similar to 46% higher than that perpendicular to the magnetic field at 95 degrees C. The present work provides a deep insight of the humidity and temperature dependence of proton conductivity of Su-CNTs/Nafion composite membranes and a new strategy for fabrication proton exchange membranes with high proton conductivity as well as good mechanical property.

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Enhanced proton conductivity of Nafion membrane with electrically aligned sulfonated graphene nanoplates

Feifei Fang, Lu Liu, Luofu Min, Li Xu, Wen Zhang, Yuxin Wang

Summary: A novel mixed matrix membrane of Nafion ionomer and sulfonated graphene nanoplates with aligned proton channels is prepared with the assistance of an electric field, significantly enhancing proton conductivity in the membrane thickness direction. The membrane exhibits a 48% increase in proton conductivity compared to conventional Nafion membranes, leading to a 15% increase in peak power output of H-2/O-2 fuel cells.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY (2021)