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In: Energymaterials, International, Lightsources, Summerstudents

Thermoplastic ionomer materials such as Nafion do have many talents: they can be used as membranes for proton exchange in fuel cells, but they have also attracted attention as shape memory materials: Via external stimuli such as heat or an electric field, it is possible to trigger a change in shapes. Applications in textiles, biomedicine, aerospace, sensors and coatings are possible. Nafion: a membrane with shape memory Nafion is one of those materials: as a membrane in a fuel cell, its high proton conductivity allows a fast pass of hydrogen ions (protons). And its internal shape plays a crucial role. Now a team from Brazil hasRead More →

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Nafion® is the most used polymer in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) that work in the temperature range of 80-130 ºC. The PEMFC efficiency is controlled by a Nafion’s thermal transition, labeled α (Tα ~ 110 ºC). Above the α-transition, irreversible modifications of the Nafion chemical interactions is responsible for a dramatic degradation of Nafion proton conductivity that can lead to the fuel cell collapse. Such transition has been rarely studied by infrared spectroscopy (IR). The IR would allow understanding the specific interactions among Nafion’s functional groups underlying α-transition. Thus, this investigation would help boosting PEMFC technology as well as advancing the development high-performance polymerRead More →