Polybenzimidazole nanocomposite membranes containing imidazole-functionalized UiO-66 nanocrystals with optimal interfacial compatibility for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Metal–organic framework (MOF) nanofillers have attracted significant attention recently for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) applications because of their excellent effectiveness for enhancing the performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) based on phosphoric acid–...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of hydrogen energy 2024-08, Vol.77, p.1375-1386
Main Authors: Tran, Minh Huy, Jheng, Li-Cheng, Zhao, Zhi-Ling, Ko, Wen-Ching, Ho, Ko-Shan, Liao, Tzu-Chi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Fuel cells
Metal-organic frameworks
Polybenzimidazole
Proton exchange membranes
UiO-66
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Metal–organic framework (MOF) nanofillers have attracted significant attention recently for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) applications because of their excellent effectiveness for enhancing the performance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) based on phosphoric acid–doped polybenzimidazole (PBI). Universitetet i Oslo-66 (UiO-66) is one of the most used zirconium-based MOFs. In this study, we synthesized amine-functionalized UiO-66, imidazole-functionalized UiO-66, and sulfonated UiO-66 as nanofillers for adjusting the interfacial compatibility of PBI-based nanocomposite membranes. The results demonstrated that incorporating functionalized UiO-66 nanocrystals simultaneously improved tensile strength, oxidative stability, and proton conductivity of the membranes. Moreover, the imidazole-functionalized UiO-66 nanofiller exhibited optimal interfacial compatibility with polybenzimidazole and more significantly improved membrane properties than the other nanofillers. The PEM containing 10 wt% imidazole-functionalized UiO-66 achieved a 113% increase in proton conductivity at 170°C (0.0418 S/cm) and a 249% increase in the maximum power density of the fuel cell (406.1 mW/cm2). [Display omitted] •Functionalization of zirconium-based metal-organic framework nanofillers.•Imidazole-functionalized nanofillers obtained better interfacial compatibility.•Imidazole-functionalized nanofillers enhanced membrane properties most.•A 113% increase in the proton conductivity of the proton exchange membrane.•A 249% increase in the maximum power density of fuel cell was demonstrated.
ISSN:0360-3199
DOI:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.06.252