DESIGN OF TRIAZOLE BEARING SOL-GEL MEMBRANES AS WATER FREE PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANES FOR HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS, EFFECT OF CROSSLINK DENSITY AND HETEROCYCLE CONTENT ON MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE

摘要

The potential implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC's as environmentally friendly power sources for transportation, stationary and portable power has sparked efforts to accelerate the development of this technology. A main challenge facing the widespread use of PEMFC's is the need for durable proton exchange membranes whose proton transport ability does not decrease drastically above the boiling point of water. High temperature operation would improve the overall efficiency of the system, reduce the cell cost by decreasing the required catalyst loading and simplifying the heat management of the device.