The Key Role of Water in Anion Exchange Membranes Activity and Stability
Abstract
Anion Exhange Membrane Fuel Cells (AEMFCs) are among the most promising technologies to address the energy issues for transportation and storage. However, this technology is currently limited by the low stability of anion-exchange membranes (AEMs). While this problem has been addressed many times in the past decade, there is still no system that meets practical commercial requirements. In this project, we focus on the nucleophilicity and basicity of hydroxide, a key component in the AEM decomposition, which is significantly affected by its environment. Here we propose systematic studies to investigate how the water/hydroxide ratio in different areas of the AEM affects different decomposition reactions. Understanding the effect of water, we can tune the decomposition mechanism using chemical changes in the AEMs and, in turn, finally overcome the major current technological limitation to the development of practical AEMFCs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 19, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810322
Entities
People
- Dario R Dekel
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army