Modified Nafion Membranes by Catalytic Materials for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Applications

Sodium dodecyl sulfate/Pt composites and sodium dodecyl sulfate/Pd composites have been synthesized and used to modify the surface of Nafion membrane. Modified Nafion membranes have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The properties of the modified membranes, in terms of their conductivity and the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), have been analyzed and compared with those of the bare Nafion. It is found that the DMFC performance of the membranes modified by two kinds of catalytic materials are better than that of the bare Nafion when operated with 2.0 M methanol. The good conductivity and high cell performance makes the modified Nafion interesting candidates for DMFCs applications.