Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Vilela, Carla
• Silva, Ana C.Q.
• Domingues, Eddy M.
• Gonçalves, Gil
• Martins, Manuel A.
• Figueiredo, Filipe M.L.
• Santos, Sónia A.O.
• Freire, Carmen S.R.

Titel

Conductive polysaccharides-based proton-exchange membranes for fuel cell applications: The case of bacterial cellulose and fucoidan

Ist Teil von

• Carbohydrate polymers, 2020-02, Vol.230, p.115604-115604, Article 115604

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• •Fully bio-based membranes composed of bacterial cellulose (BC) and fucoidan.•Nanostructured membranes with thermal-oxidative stability in the range 180–200 °C.•Membranes with good dynamic mechanical performance (storage modulus ≥ 460 MPa).•BC/fucoidan proton-exchange membranes with protonic conductivity of 1.6 mS cm−1.•Conductive bio-based separators for application in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Conductive natural-based separators for application in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) were fabricated by combining a bacterial polysaccharide, i.e. bacterial cellulose (BC), and an algae sulphated polysaccharide, i.e. fucoidan (Fuc). The diffusion of fucoidan aqueous solution containing a natural-based cross-linker, viz. tannic acid, into the wet BC nanofibrous three-dimensional network, followed by thermal cross-linking, originated fully bio-based proton exchange membranes (PEMs). The PEMs present thermal-oxidative stability in the range of 180–200 °C and good dynamic mechanical performance (storage modulus ≥ 460 MPa). Additionally, the BC/Fuc membranes exhibit protonic conductivity that increases with increasing relative humidity (RH), which is a typical feature for numerous water-mediated proton conductors. The traditional Arrhenius-type plots demonstrate a linear behaviour with a maximum protonic conductivity of 1.6 mS cm−1 at 94 °C and 98 % RH. The results showed that these fully bio-based conductive membranes have potential as eco-friendly alternatives to other PEMs for application in PEFCs.