Modeling of Electrochemical Impedance of Fuel Cell Based on Novel Nanocomposite Membrane

Abstract

The new hybrid composite materials for PEM fuel cell were synthesized by the UV polymerization of acrylic monomers (acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) and a sulfo aromatic monomer, i.e., sodium styrene sulfonate, and the tetraethoxysilane/3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane-based sol–gel system. By means of X-ray spectroscopy, the fractal structure of the obtained materials was characterized. Proton conductivity and viscoelasticity of the obtained materials were determined depending on the content of the inorganic component in nanocomposites. Based on impedance studies, an equivalent scheme is proposed that successfully describes the proton conductivity in the synthesized composite’s electrolyte membranes.

Keywords

• fuel cell
• impedance spectroscopy
• Nyquist diagram
• SAXS
• proton conductivity
• composite membrane