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Membranes
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Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers
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Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 20198

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hsiharng Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate Institute of Precision Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: AEM fuel cell; electrolyzer; gas diffusion electrode; bio-fuel cell; enzyme immobilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Membranes used for anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells and electrolyzers are the focus of renewed attention due to their use in non-platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts and, therefore, their lower cost compared to other fuel cells and electrolyzers. For AEMs to become viable options, cathode ionomer stability and anode catalyst activity must be investigated. Low-cost material solutions to address current issues to develop complete gas diffusion electrode (GDEs) are desired. These solutions aim to be at the cutting edge of advanced materials research and are foreseen to contribute to breakthrough advances for AEM fuel cells and electrolyzers. The expected results will contribute to high-level scientific publications and have a high impact on society.

This Special Issue on “Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers” of the journal Membranes seeks contributions to assess the state of the art and future developments in the field of AEMFCs. Topics include, but are not limited to, anion exchange membrane synthesis, non-PGM catalysts for gas diffusion electrode production, mass transport phenomena, module and reactor design, membrane reactors, novel applications, and demonstration efforts and industrial exploitation. Authors are invited to submit their latest results; both original papers and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Hsiharng Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Membrane
  • Non-platinum group metal (PGM)
  • Fuel cell
  • Electrolyzer
  • Gas diffusion electrode
  • Membrane reactor
  • Hydrogen production

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5215 KiB  
Article
OH− and H3O+ Diffusion in Model AEMs and PEMs at Low Hydration: Insights from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics
by Tamar Zelovich and Mark E. Tuckerman
Membranes 2021, 11(5), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11050355 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4405
Abstract
Fuel cell-based anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) and proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are considered to have great potential as cost-effective, clean energy conversion devices. However, a fundamental atomistic understanding of the hydroxide and hydronium diffusion mechanisms in the AEM and PEM environment is an ongoing [...] Read more.
Fuel cell-based anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) and proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are considered to have great potential as cost-effective, clean energy conversion devices. However, a fundamental atomistic understanding of the hydroxide and hydronium diffusion mechanisms in the AEM and PEM environment is an ongoing challenge. In this work, we aim to identify the fundamental atomistic steps governing hydroxide and hydronium transport phenomena. The motivation of this work lies in the fact that elucidating the key design differences between the hydroxide and hydronium diffusion mechanisms will play an important role in the discovery and determination of key design principles for the synthesis of new membrane materials with high ion conductivity for use in emerging fuel cell technologies. To this end, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are presented to explore hydroxide and hydronium ion solvation complexes and diffusion mechanisms in the model AEM and PEM systems at low hydration in confined environments. We find that hydroxide diffusion in AEMs is mostly vehicular, while hydronium diffusion in model PEMs is structural. Furthermore, we find that the region between each pair of cations in AEMs creates a bottleneck for hydroxide diffusion, leading to a suppression of diffusivity, while the anions in PEMs become active participants in the hydronium diffusion, suggesting that the presence of the anions in model PEMs could potentially promote hydronium diffusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
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14 pages, 2545 KiB  
Article
Effect of Membrane Properties on the Carbonation of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
by Yiwei Zheng, Lyzmarie Nicole Irizarry Colón, Noor Ul Hassan, Eric R. Williams, Morgan Stefik, Jacob M. LaManna, Daniel S. Hussey and William E. Mustain
Membranes 2021, 11(2), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11020102 - 31 Jan 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3659
Abstract
Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFC) are potentially very low-cost replacements for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, AEMFCs suffer from one very serious drawback: significant performance loss when CO2 is present in the reacting oxidant gas (e.g., air) due to carbonation. [...] Read more.
Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFC) are potentially very low-cost replacements for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, AEMFCs suffer from one very serious drawback: significant performance loss when CO2 is present in the reacting oxidant gas (e.g., air) due to carbonation. Although the chemical mechanisms for how carbonation leads to voltage loss in operating AEMFCs are known, the way those mechanisms are affected by the properties of the anion exchange membrane (AEM) has not been elucidated. Therefore, this work studies AEMFC carbonation using numerous high-functioning AEMs from the literature and it was found that the ionic conductivity of the AEM plays the most critical role in the CO2-related voltage loss from carbonation, with the degree of AEM crystallinity playing a minor role. In short, higher conductivity—resulting either from a reduction in the membrane thickness or a change in the polymer chemistry—results in faster CO2 migration and emission from the anode side. Although this does lead to a lower overall degree of carbonation in the polymer, it also increases CO2-related voltage loss. Additionally, an operando neutron imaging cell is used to show that as AEMFCs become increasingly carbonated their water content is reduced, which further drives down cell performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
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19 pages, 2054 KiB  
Article
Study of Polyaniline/Poly(Sodium 4-Styrenesulfonate) Composite Deposits Using an Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance for the Modification of a Commercial Anion Exchange Membrane
by Antonio Montes-Rojas, Marlen Ramírez-Orizaga, Jesús Gerardo Ávila-Rodríguez and Luz María Torres-Rodríguez
Membranes 2020, 10(12), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10120387 - 30 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
One of the intended applications for the modification of ion exchange membranes with polyaniline (PAni) is to use it as a matrix to include chemical species that confer a special property such as resistance to fouling or ion selectivity. In particular, the inclusion [...] Read more.
One of the intended applications for the modification of ion exchange membranes with polyaniline (PAni) is to use it as a matrix to include chemical species that confer a special property such as resistance to fouling or ion selectivity. In particular, the inclusion of polyelectrolyte molecules into the PAni matrix appears to be the way to modulate these properties of selective membranes. Therefore, it must be clearly understood how the polyelectrolyte is incorporated into the matrix of polyaniline. Among the results obtained in this paper using poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, the amount of polyelectrolyte incorporated into PAni is found to be proportional to the PSS concentration in solution if its value is between 0 and 20 mM, while it reaches a maximum value when the PSS in solution is greater than 20 mM. When the anion exchange membranes are modified with these composite deposits, the transport number of chloride was found to decrease progressively (when the PSS concentration in solution is between 0 and 20 mM) to reach a practically constant value when a concentration of PSS greater than 20 mM was used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
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19 pages, 6842 KiB  
Article
Application of Crosslinked Polybenzimidazole-Poly(Vinyl Benzyl Chloride) Anion Exchange Membranes in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells
by Daniel Herranz, Roxana E. Coppola, Ricardo Escudero-Cid, Kerly Ochoa-Romero, Norma B. D’Accorso, Juan Carlos Pérez-Flores, Jesús Canales-Vázquez, Carlos Palacio, Graciela C. Abuin and Pilar Ocón
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10110349 - 17 Nov 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3534
Abstract
Crosslinked membranes have been synthesized by a casting process using polybenzimidazole (PBI) and poly(vinyl benzyl chloride) (PVBC). The membranes were quaternized with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) to obtain fixed positive quaternary ammonium groups. XPS analysis has showed insights into the changes from crosslinked to quaternized [...] Read more.
Crosslinked membranes have been synthesized by a casting process using polybenzimidazole (PBI) and poly(vinyl benzyl chloride) (PVBC). The membranes were quaternized with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) to obtain fixed positive quaternary ammonium groups. XPS analysis has showed insights into the changes from crosslinked to quaternized membranes, demonstrating that the crosslinking reaction and the incorporation of DABCO have occurred, while the 13C-NMR corroborates the reaction of DABCO with PVBC only by one nitrogen atom. Mechanical properties were evaluated, obtaining maximum stress values around 72 MPa and 40 MPa for crosslinked and quaternized membranes, respectively. Resistance to oxidative media was also satisfactory and the membranes were evaluated in single direct ethanol fuel cell. PBI-c-PVBC/OH 1:2 membrane obtained 66 mW cm−2 peak power density, 25% higher than commercial PBI membranes, using 0.5 bar backpressure of pure O2 in the cathode and 1 mL min−1 KOH 2M EtOH 2 M aqueous solution in the anode. When the pressure was increased, the best performance was obtained by the same membrane, reaching 70 mW cm−2 peak power density at 2 bar O2 backpressure. Based on the characterization and single cell performance, PBI-c-PVBC/OH membranes are considered promising candidates as anion exchange electrolytes for direct ethanol fuel cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
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Review

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21 pages, 1533 KiB  
Review
Radiation-Grafted Anion-Exchange Membrane for Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Applications: A Mini Review
by Kean Long Lim, Chun Yik Wong, Wai Yin Wong, Kee Shyuan Loh, Sarala Selambakkannu, Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman and Hsiharng Yang
Membranes 2021, 11(6), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11060397 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5817
Abstract
This review discusses the roles of anion exchange membrane (AEM) as a solid-state electrolyte in fuel cell and electrolyzer applications. It highlights the advancement of existing fabrication methods and emphasizes the importance of radiation grafting methods in improving the properties of AEM. The [...] Read more.
This review discusses the roles of anion exchange membrane (AEM) as a solid-state electrolyte in fuel cell and electrolyzer applications. It highlights the advancement of existing fabrication methods and emphasizes the importance of radiation grafting methods in improving the properties of AEM. The development of AEM has been focused on the improvement of its physicochemical properties, including ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity, water uptake, swelling ratio, etc., and its thermo-mechano-chemical stability in high-pH and high-temperature conditions. Generally, the AEM radiation grafting processes are considered green synthesis because they are usually performed at room temperature and practically eliminated the use of catalysts and toxic solvents, yet the final products are homogeneous and high quality. The radiation grafting technique is capable of modifying the hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains to control the ionic properties of membrane as well as its water uptake and swelling ratio without scarifying its mechanical properties. Researchers also showed that the chemical stability of AEMs can be improved by grafting spacers onto base polymers. The effects of irradiation dose and dose rate on the performance of AEM were discussed. The long-term stability of membrane in alkaline solutions remains the main challenge to commercial use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
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