A Versatile Nanofabrication Technology for Polymer / Inorganic Composite Proton Exchange Membranes

The goal of the proposed research is to demonstrate that MCT's proprietary NanomizerT technology can be used to prepare nanocomposites films that provide a performance advantage over current composites being targeted at the proton exchange membrane fuelcell (PEMFC) market. Nanocomposite membranes are expected to play a major role in overcoming the following technical challenges associated with the proton exchange membranes: (1) the polymer must be fully hydrated during fuel cell operation; (2) membranescan degrade or dehydrate at temperatures exceeding 100¿C; and (3) for direct methanol fuel cell utilization, methanol transport effectively prevents adequate performance. In addition to fabrication novel, high performance membranes, the versatility andscaleability of MCT's technology will be demonstrated. The ability to make a wide variety of nanoparticle oxides coupled with a spray polymer deposition strategy that utilizes both micron-sized droplet formation and extremely flexible solution compositionlimits has tremendous promise for composite membrane fabrication. The ability to include silica or platinum or phosphotungstic acid, at the nanoscale mixing level, will be demonstrated. MCT's current efforts in fabricating electrocatalyst layers using apolymeric perfluorosulfonated ionomer, Nafionr, will be naturally extended to fabricating membranes.Fuel cell power systems are expected to have wide spread implementation in the stationary, portable and transportation power markets within the next ten totwenty years. It has been projected that 25% of all automobiles will use PEMFC-based engines by 2020. Success in the proposed research builds a strong foundation towards lowering complexity, size and cost of the fuel cell system, lifting performancelimitations due to transport and thermal issues and improving manufacturing capacity with a simple, robust and scaleable membrane production technology.