To produce an anion-conductive and durable polymer electrolyte for alkaline fuel cell applications, a series of quaternized poly(2,6-dimethyl phenylene oxide)s containing long alkyl side chains pendant to the nitrogen-centered cation were synthesized using a Menshutkin reaction to form comb-shaped structures. The pendant alkyl chains were responsible for the development of highly conductive ion...

This project will synthesize novel PF AEMs and ionomers and incorporate these MEAs for fuel cell testing. The project generally supports targets outlined in the MYRDD Plan in application specific areas (portable, stationary, transportation). However, as alkaline membrane fuel cells are at an earlier stage of development, specific target tables have not yet been developed. There are two tasks in...

The paper focuses on the conductivity of the fuel cell electrolyte in a membraneless glucose-fueled alkaline fuel cell. The electrolyte conductivity is interpreted using simple physical models, considering either the empirical behavior of the solution’s viscosity, or the consideration of ions and molecules colliding in solutions. The conductivity is expressed as a function of KOH and glucose co...

Our previous studies demonstrated great potential of methyl methacrylate and vinylbenzyl chloride based copolymer electrolytes for alkaline fuel cell applications. In this study, a number of factors including polymer composition drift, molecular weight, and polymer crosslinking is investigated to understand their effects and to precisely control the electrolyte properties including conductivity...

The idea of a fuel cell was first discovered in 1839 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein [64] and William Grove [27]. Independently from each other they provided the foundation for the development of many different kinds of fuel cells. Today’s fuel cells are mostly classified by the type of electrolyte used in the cells. The most common types are polymer electrolyte fuel cells PEFC (developed by W...