Relationship between the Proton Conductive Performance and Water Uptake Ratio on a Filler-Filled Polymer Electrolyte Membrane
Takaaki Saito, Tomohiro Nohara, Keisuke Tabata, Haruki Nakazaki, Tsutomu Makino, Yoshimasa Matsuo, Kei Sato, Colette Abadie, Akito Masuhara
Abstract
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells are attracting attention as clean, highly efficient power generation devices that can solve problems such as energy resource depletion, global warming, and environmental pollution. In this research, we have fabricated proton conductive filler-filled membranes, employing polymer-coated cellulose nanocrystals and different binder resins. Moreover, we have demonstrated the relationship between proton conductivity and water uptake of binder resins. It was clarified that the fabricated membrane with a high water uptake ratio showed excellent proton conduction performance under high humidity at low temperatures with a low activation energy for proton conduction. The substantiation of the compatibility relationship between water absorption and efficacy of proton conduction can contribute to the design and fabrication of a new binder resin synthesis model and contributes to the knowledge of the polymer skeleton structure for the improvement of the proton conductive performance of polymer electrolyte membranes.