Structure and dynamics of hybrid organic-inorganic membrane materials for fuel cell applications

FUEL 170

James Horan, jhoran@mines.edu1, John A. Turner, john_turner@nrel.gov2, Andrew M. Herring, aherring@mines.edu3, and Steven F. Dec, sdec@mines.edu1. (1) Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Ilinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, (2) National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, (3) Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
Heteropoly acids (HPA's) possess several characteristics that make them desirable for incorporation into proton exchange membranes for fuel cell applications. Fundamental studies of HPA's synthesized in our laboratory have been undertaken in an effort to determine how the structure and dynamics of these compounds may contribute to overall fuel cell performance. Attempts have also been made to immobilize HPA's into unique hybrid organic-inorganic membrane materials by covalently bonding lacunary HPA's to organic functional groups that can be subsequently polymerized. These membrane materials are then tested for their proton conductivity at a variety of temperatures and relative humidities. NMR measurements are used to determine how structure and dynamics within these novel membranes can be related to their proton conductivity. Suitable membrane materials can then be incorporated into a membrane electrode assembly for performance evaluation in a fuel cell at elevated temperatures and reduced humidities.
 

Fuel Cell Chemistry and Operation
1:35 PM-4:30 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Palace -- Gold Ballroom, Oral

Division of Fuel Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006