Proton Exchange Membranes Based on Polymeric Ionic Liquids for Fuel Cell Applications

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are being considered as a promising energy source due to their high energy efficiency and low environmental impact. The proton exchange membrane, which is the key component of a PEMFC, needs a considerable improvement regarding its performance without external humidification. Concerning this aspect, many authors are working incorporating ionic liquids as proton exchange components in PEMFCs. In this work, polymeric ionic liquids have been designed for their use as electrolytes without external humidification. For this purpose, membranes based on [HSO(3)BVIm][ TfO]/[HSO3-BMIm][TfO] and [SBMIm][SEM]/[SBVIm][SEM] were developed for H-2/air proton exchange membrane fuel cells working without external humidification. Fuel cell tests and ionic conductivity experiments show the great potential of these ionic liquid-based polymers as proton exchange membranes.