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High performance direct methanol fuel cells with micro/nano-patterned polymer electrolyte membrane

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Title: High performance direct methanol fuel cells with micro/nano-patterned polymer electrolyte membrane

Author(s): Yoon-Hwan Cho; Woo Bae J.; Ok-Hee Kim; Young Jho J.; Namgee Jung; Shin K.; Choi H.; Choe H.; Cho Y.-H.; Yung Eun Sung

Subject: Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), ; Nanoimprint lithography, ; Phase boundaries, ; Specific surface area, ; Cell performance, ; High reliability, ; Line pattern, ; Patterning, ; Polymer electrolyte membranes, ; Shape and size, ; Thermal imprint lithographies, ; Three phase boundary, ; Membranes, ; electrolyte, ; methanol, ; nanomaterial, ; polymer, ; article, ; artificial membrane, ; catalyst, ; comparative study, ; conductance, ; controlled study, ; energy resource, ; fuel cell, ; infrared spectroscopy, ; periodicity, ; priority journal, ; reliability, ; scanning electron microscopy, ; surface property, ; X ray crystallography

Abstract: The effect of an enlarged specific surface area of the membrane with well-defined line patterns on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is investigated and compared with the baseline pristine Nafion 115 membrane. Line patterns with dimensions ranging from several tens of nanometers to several micrometers were fabricated on Nafion 115 membranes with high reliability using thermal imprint lithography to ensure an uncollapsible structure. In the case of quasi-nano-patterned membrane the cell performance increased about 35% compared with that of the pristine Nafion 115 membrane owing to an increased effective three-phase boundary caused by an enlarged specific surface area. Thus the performance of DMFCs can be improved further by controlling the shape and size of the line patterns for sufficient formation of the three-phase boundary. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.