Carboxycellulose nanofibers (CNFs) promise to be a sustainable and inexpensive alternative material for polymer electrolyte membranes compared to the expensive commercial Nafion membrane. However, its practical applications have been limited by its relatively low performance and reduced mechanical properties under typical operating conditions. In this study, CNFs were derived from wood pulp by TEMPO oxidation of the hydroxy group present on C6 position of the cellulose chain. Then, citric acid cross-linked CNF membranes were prepared by a solvent casting method to enhance performance. Results from FT-IR spectroscopy, 13C NMR spectroscopy, and XRD reveal a chemical crosslink between the citric acid and CNF, and the optimal fuel cell performance was obtained by crosslinking 70 mL of 0.20 wt % CNF suspension with 300 µL of 1.0 M citric acid solution. The membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), operated in oxygen atmosphere, exhibited maximum power density of 27.7 mW/cm2 and maximum current density of 111.8 mA/cm2 at 80 °C and 100% relative humidity (RH) for the citric acid cross-linked CNF membrane with 0.1 mg/cm2 Pt loading on the anode and cathode, which is approximately 30 times and 22 times better respectively than the uncross-linked CNF film. The surface morphology of CNFs and corresponding membranes were characterized by SEM, EDX, TEM, and AFM techniques. Differences in membrane mechanical properties were assessed by temperature sweeping DMA and tensile strength DMA.

Sustainable nanocellulose membranes for PEM fuel cells

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.