Fuel Cells Project
Fuel cells powered by hydrogen from secure and renewable sources are the ideal solution for a non-polluting energy source. Among all types of fuel cells that have been developed so far, proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted particular interest due to their wide range of potential applications in areas such as portable and stationary power generation, personal electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptop computers), and automobiles.
The main barrier to commercialization originates from the short lifetime and high cost of the current membrane materials, including the state-of-the-art Nafion® membrane. Intensive research has turned to nonperfluorinated hydrocarbon membranes, which can reduce membrane costs significantly. However, these membranes suffer from an uncontrolled microstructure, which fails to balance high performance with long-term durability. In order to address these challenges, novel membrane substitution with both fine-tunable structures and high-proton conductivity are highly demanded.