Improved fuel cell properties of Nano-TiO2 doped Poly(Vinylidene fluoride) and phosphonated Poly(Vinyl alcohol) composite blend membranes for PEM fuel cells

Blend composite membranes are known as a good alternative to expensive Nafion membrane since they combine the superior properties of their components in a single structure. Herein, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) phosphonated polyvinyl alcohol (PPVA) blend membranes (90/10 by mass) were prepared with the solution casting method. Then, nanoTiO(2) were added at varying mass ratios (2, 5, 8, 10, and 15%) to improve the performance of the synthesized membranes. Characterization tests namely, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), water uptake capacity, ion exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, dynamic mechanic analysis, open-circuit voltage (OCV) measurements, and performance tests were conducted. PVDF/PPVA membrane containing 8% nano-TiO2 exhibited the highest performance with 382.7 mA/cm(2) of current density and 225.4 mW cm(-2) of power density. The OCV measurements showed 8.57% voltage decrement at the end of 1000 h. Obtained results show the high potential of TiO2 doped PVDF/PPVA membranes could be considered as a favorable candidate for fuel cells. (c) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.