A highly sensitive breathable fuel cell gas sensor with nanocomposite solid electrolyte
Jing Zhang,
Gaopeng Jiang,
Timothy Cumberland,
Pan Xu,
Yalin Wu,
Stephen Delaat,
Aiping Yu,
Zhongwei Chen
Affiliations
Jing Zhang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Gaopeng Jiang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Timothy Cumberland
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Pan Xu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Yalin Wu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Stephen Delaat
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Aiping Yu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Zhongwei Chen
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
Abstract The present work deals with a poly(vinyl alcohol)‐based membrane mixed with poly(4‐styrenesulfonic acid) to be used as a proton‐conducting solid‐state electrolyte in an electrochemical gas sensor for the detection of alcohol. A cross‐linking bonding semi‐interpenetrating network is formed between the polymer backbones, providing the membrane with superior mechanical property and excellent water retention. Meanwhile, the graphene oxide nanosheets are incorporated into the polymer fibrous backbones, creating impermeable block layers to limit ethanol gas penetration. Importantly, the modification of graphene oxide facilitates the protons transportation in both in‐plane and through‐plane channels of the membrane, boosting excellent conductivities of 0.13 S cm−1 (in‐plane) and 22.6 mS cm−1 (through‐plane) at 75°C, respectively. An alcohol fuel cell sensor assembled with this semi‐interpenetrating network solid electrolyte membrane is fabricated based on direct ethanol fuel cell principle, exhibiting excellent sensitivity, linearity, as well as low ethanol detection limits of 25 ppm.
