Characterization of perfluorinated sulfonic acid membranes for PEM fuel cells

In this presentation, the basic principle of hydrogen fuel cells and their application to the automotive industry will be explained. An overview of the challenges and corresponding opportunities for materials development for fuel cell technology will also be included. Specific applications of chemical characterization of perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane materials suitable for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells will be shown. In particular, the identification of chemical degradation products will be discussed in the context of determining the chemical degradation mechanism. Finally, pulse field gradient NMR measurements of diffusion coefficients for promising composite membrane materials will illustrate the potential of these materials for superior operation under higher temperature and lower relative humidity conditions.