Nanocomposite proton exchange membranes based on Nafion containing Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles in water and alcohol environments for PEMFC

In this study, the preparation and characterization of Nafion/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposite membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) were investigated. Nafion/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposite membranes were prepared by dispersion of Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles within the pure commercial Nafion membranes. The composition percentage of the nanocomposite membranes and the solvent used for the dispersion of nanoparticles within the membranes were varied in order to study the effect of these variations on the proton conductivity, water uptake and also the thermal stability of the membranes. The nanocomposites membranes were characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy (IS). The prepared Fe2TiO5 nanocomposite membranes showed a higher water uptake, proton conductivity and thermal stability compared with the pure commercial Nafion membranes. The highest proton conductivity (226 mS/cm) was observed for the membranes containing 2 wt% of Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles and prepared in de-ionized water (DI) as solvent.