Nano-Silica-Modified Chitosan-Based Membranes for Application in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Membrane electrolytes play a critical role in energy conversion devices. The development of stable, efficient membrane electrolytes is urgent and demands paramount attention for the successful commercialization of fuel cells. Chitosan, a naturally occurring material, and silica particles were used as precursors for organic-inorganic membrane polymers. The silica nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel and Stober methods and characterized using various techniques, including XRD, FTIR, etc. The silica-incorporated membranes show improved properties, with the sulfur-functionalized membranes having optimal proton conductivity, ion-exchange capacity, and tensile strength of 0.0238 S/cm, 2.86 meq/g, and 7.3 MPa, respectively. It also showed the lowest methanol permeability. This was clear proof that membrane functionalization has a positive impact on tuning the properties of electrolyte membranes and should be further explored in membrane development.