Researchers at Pennsylvania State University and MIT believe they have developed a new solid-state polymer electrolyte for use in electrochemical devices including fuel cells and batteries.
The major potential advantage of such a system is that it would produce electrolytes that can firmly bond to the fuel cell electrodes on either side. This membrane could be formed directly on the electrode which would create a uniform and highly controlled membrane-electrode assembly. By comparison, in conventional fuel cells the three parts are made separately and the bonds can result in inefficiency.
According to Avni Argun, a post-doctoral researcher at MIT, working with Paula Hammond, the Bayer Professor of chemical engineering, tightly bonded interfaces boost both efficiency and reliability. They will also reduce the amount of platinum needed in the electrodes, which in turn cuts their costs.
The paper was published in the ACS journal Chemistry of Materials with a layer by layer method used to create homogenous blends of MEEP, a poly-acrylic acid with controlled film growth and excellent hydrolytic stability. According to Argun this is the first incorporation of phosphazene based polymer into multi-layer structured film and these films are strong candidates for use in fuel cells and batteries.
