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A novel proton-exchange porous silicon membrane production method for μDMFCs
Meltem GÖr BÖlen1, Tevhit Karacali1
1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum Turkey.
Turkish Journal of Chemistry
|January 25, 2021
Summary
This study presents a new, cost-effective method for creating porous silicon proton exchange membranes for micro direct methanol fuel cells (μDMFCs). The developed membrane shows potential, though performance can be enhanced through functionalization or cell stacking.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Micro direct methanol fuel cells (μDMFCs) require efficient proton exchange membranes (PEMs).
- Porous silicon is explored as a novel material for PEMs due to its tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a new, simple, and cost-effective production method for porous silicon-based proton exchange membranes.
- To evaluate the performance of these membranes in passive mode μDMFCs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of porous silicon membranes.
- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to assess proton conductivity.
- Fuel crossover tests to determine fuel permeability.
- Fuel cell performance tests in a μDMFC sample cell.
Main Results:
- The porous silicon membrane demonstrated a conductivity of 0.0016 S/cm.
- Fuel crossover tests indicated energy provision for approximately 60 minutes with 50 mL of fuel.
- Open circuit voltage (OCV) was 0.4V, with peak power and current densities of 0.1 mW/cm² and 0.39 mA/cm², respectively.
- The OCV value aligns with previous research.
Conclusions:
- A simple, cost-effective, and time-efficient method for producing porous silicon with proton-conducting properties was developed.
- Porous silicon's potential as a PEM for μDMFCs is shown, with avenues for performance improvement identified.
