Oxygen- and proton-transporting open framework ionomer for medium-temperature fuel cells
Medium-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (MT PEMFCs) operating at 100° to 120°C have improved kinetics, simplified thermal and water management, and broadened fuel tolerance compared with low-temperature PEMFCs. However, high temperatures lead to Nafion ionomer dehydration and exacerbate gas transportation limitations. Inspired by osmolytes found in hyperthermophiles, we developed α-aminoketone-linked covalent organic framework (COF) ionomers, interwoven with Nafion, to act as "breathable" proton conductors. This approach leverages synergistic hydrogen bonding to retain water, enhancing hydration and proton transport while reducing oxygen transport resistance. For commercial Pt/C, the MT PEMFCs achieved peak and rated power densities of 18.1 and 9.5 Watts per milligram of Pt at the cathode at 105°C fueled with H<sub>2</sub> and air, marking increases of 101 and 187%, respectively, compared with cells lacking the COF.
Authors
- Jing Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9676-5734)
- Pengpeng Shao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4229-8768)
- Qingling Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4970-2559)
- Xin Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5625-0338)
- Hengyu Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5035-7468)
- Wenxiu Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5408-2000)
- Xianghao Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6639-7600)
- Yuhao Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0468-6455)
- Ke Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2455-7828)
- Teng Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1063-3376)
- Bo Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9092-3252)
- Jie Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4096-2795)
- Ke Gong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2030-4637)
- Xiao Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3212-3051)
- Fengchao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5954-3881)
- Jianwei Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7044-4523)
- Zengshi Xu
- Feiyu Yue (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3042-8272)
- Wenli Xu
Institutions
- Beijing Institute of Technology (CN)
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Wuhan Institute of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2024-09-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq2259
- Citations
- 170
- Primary Topic
- Fuel Cells and Related Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 35.48