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Polymer Design Strategies for Radiation‐Grafted Fuel Cell Membranes
Author(s) -
Gubler Lorenz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201300827
Subject(s) - durability , materials science , commercialization , polymer , fuel cells , grafting , process engineering , nanotechnology , biochemical engineering , chemical engineering , composite material , engineering , business , marketing
In the past decade, fuel cell technology has been moving steadily towards commercialization, with prospects of high production volumes, in particular in electric vehicle applications. However, the cost and durability of the currently‐used materials and components fall short of the requirements for large‐scale industrialization. The development of alternative, more cost‐effective materials with competitive performance and durability attributes is therefore ongoing. Radiation‐induced graft copolymerization (“radiation grafting”) is a versatile method to modify pre‐existing polymers to introduce a variety of desired functionalities, such as ion‐exchange capacity. Here, an overview of fundamentals and recent developments in the area of radiation grafted ion‐conducting polymers for application in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is provided. Key aspects of polymer design are discussed, taking into consideration the radiation chemistry of base polymer materials and the adequate choice of grafting monomers for different PEFC types. Furthermore, the current status of applications in fuel cells is highlighted.