Electrospun nanocomposite materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Electrospinning is a low-cost versatile process with relatively high production rate for preparation of nanofibers that can be used in various fields. As the structure of electrospun mats is very similar to human tissues and organs, most of research activities in electrospinning are dedicated to biomedical applications. However, another interesting field for application of electrospun membranes is fuel cell application. The focus of this chapter is on the membrane of polymeric fuel cells and the methods of using electrospinning process for preparation of the membranes. Three important objectives of using electrospinning in membranes of polymeric fuel cells are reducing methanol crossover, improving proton conductivity, and suppressing water swelling, which will be explained in detail.