Precise Molecular‐Level Modification of Nafion with Bismuth Oxide Clusters for High‐performance Proton‐Exchange Membranes
Bailing Liu, Bo Hu, Jing Du, Dongming Cheng, Hong‐Ying Zang, Xin Ge, Huaqiao Tan, Yonghui Wang, Xiaozheng Duan, Jin Zhao, Wei Zhang, Yangguang Li, Zhong‐Min Su
Abstract
Abstract Fabricating proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with high ionic conductivity and ideal mechanical robustness through regulation of the membrane microstructures achieved by molecular‐level hybridization remains essential but challenging for the further development of high‐performance PEM fuel cells. In this work, by precisely hybridizing nano‐scaled bismuth oxide clusters into Nafion, we have fabricated the high‐performance hybrid membrane, Nafion‐Bi 12 ‐3 %, which showed a proton conductivity of 386 mS cm −1 at 80 °C in aqueous solution with low methanol permeability, and conserved the ideal mechanical and chemical stabilities as PEMs. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed to clarify the structural properties and the assembly mechanisms of the hybrid membrane on the molecular level. The maximum current density and power density of Nafion‐Bi 12 ‐3 % for direct methanol fuel cells reached to 432.7 mA cm −2 and 110.2 mW cm −2 , respectively. This work provides new insights into the design of versatile functional polymer electrolyte membranes through polyoxometalate hybridization.