• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.43-48
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• 2002

In this study, high performance electrode catalyst was developed in fabrication of membrane electrode assembly for PEMFCs(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells). The I-V characteristics were measured to evaluate the influence of Nafion solution and Pt loading amount in the catalyst composition. The electrode characteristics were also investigated with respect to temperature change. The electrode performance was optimized at Nafion 5 wt% and 0.5 mg Pt/$\textrm{cm}^2$ content. The increase in the concentration of Nafion solution resulted in the decrease in electrode performance. At $80^{\circ}C$ of unit cell, I-V characteristics excelled those obtained at lower temperature. There was no difference in performance at low current density, but the improvement of voltage value in higher temperature could be found at high current density.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.88.2-88.2
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• 2011

Proton exchange memb rane fuel cell has been considered one of the next generation power source for electric vehicles due to high power density and low emissions. $TiO_2$/Nafion composite was prepared by the in-situ sol-gel method. The electrochemical characteristics of the $TiO_2$-Nafion composite membrane were evaluated by current-voltage and impedance of the membrane eletrode assembly in a single Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2008

Optimization of ionomer solution was conducted in order to improve the performance of MEAs in PEMPC. The interface between membrane and electrodes in MEAs is crucial region determining fuel cell performance as well as ORR reaction at cathode. Through the modification of Nafion ionomer content at the interface between membrane and electrodes, an optimal content was obtained with Nafion 115 membranes. Two times higher current density was obtained with the outer Nafion sprayed MEA compared with the non-sprayed one. In addition, the symmetrical impedance spectroscopy mode (SM) exhibited that the resistances of membrane area, proton hydration, and charge transfer decreased as the outer Nafion is sprayed. From the polarization curves and SM, the highest current density and the lowest resistance was obtained at the outer ionomer content of $0.15\;mg\;cm^{-2}$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 1999

Etched Nafion membrane and electrode assemblies were fabricated and those performances were observed in PEMFC. Adhesion of membrane to electrode increased with abrasion of membrane surface. Membrane surface ething results in reduction of hot pressing temperature, as a consequence, in improving of cell performance. It was found that Nafion etching was effective in painting method. The optimum content of electrode catalyst should be selected according to etching intensity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.597-601
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• 2006

The degradation of the Nafion membrane by oxygen radical (OH, $HO_2$) was investigated in Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Nafion membrane was degraded in Fenton solution consisted with hydrogen peroxide (10-30％) and ferrous ion (1-4 ppm) at $80^{\circ}C$. After degradation in Fenton solution, C-F, S-O and C-O chemical bonds of membrane were broken by oxygen radical attack. Breaking of C-F bond reduced the mechanical strength of Nafion membrane, and hence induced pinholes, resulting in increase of $H_2$ crossover through the membrane. Decomposition of S-O and C-O bonds decreased the ion exchange capacity of the electrolyte membrane. The performance of unit cell composed the membrane, which was degraded in 30％ $H_2O_2$ with 4ppm $Fe^{2+}$ solution for 48 hr, was about half times as low as one with normal membrane.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2023

The electromembrane process, which has advantages such as scalability, sustainability, and eco-friendliness, is used in renewable energy fields such as fuel cells and reverse electrodialysis power generation. Most of the research to visualize the internal flow in the electromembrane process has mainly been conducted on heterogeneous ion exchange membranes, because of the non-uniform swelling characteristics of the homogeneous membrane. In this study, we successfully visualize the electro-convective vortices near the Nafion homogeneous membrane in PDMS-based microfluidic devices. To reinforce the mechanical rigidity and minimize the non-uniform swelling characteristics of the homogeneous membrane, a newly developed swelling supporter was additionally adapted to the Nafion membrane. Thus, a clear image of electroconvective vortices near the Nafion membrane could be obtained and visualized. As a result, we observed that the heterogeneous membrane has relatively stronger electroconvective vortices compared to the Nafion homogeneous membranes. Regarding electrical response, the Nafion membrane has a higher limiting current and less overlimiting current compared to the heterogeneous membrane. Based on our visualization, it is assumed that the heterogeneous membrane has more activated electroconvective vortices, which lower electrical resistance in the overlimiting current regime. We anticipate that this work can contribute to the fundamental understanding of the ion transport characteristics depending on the homogeneity of ion exchange membranes.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2016

In this study, the organic-inorganic composite membranes composed of iron oxide (Ferroxane) and Nafion were developed as an alternative proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Acetic acid-stabilized lepidocrocite (${\gamma}$-FeOOH) nanoparticles (ferroxane) was synthesized, and the ferroxane-Nafion composite membranes were prepared by mixing Nafion with the ferroxane. The composite membranes were investigated in terms of ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity (IEC), FT-IR, thermal stability, etc. As a result, the ferroxane-Nafion composite membranes showed higher proton conductivity, IEC, thermal stability than Nafion recast membranes. The proton conductivity and IEC of the composite membrane with the best performance were $0.09S\;cm^{-1}$ and $0.906meq\;g^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 2012

A simple drying process was developed for the preparation of a Pt/Nafion self-humidifying membrane to be used for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Platinum (II) bis (acetylacetonate), $Pt(acac)_2$ was sublimed, penetrated into the surface of a Nafion film and then reduced to Pt nanoparticles simultaneously without any support of a reducing agent in a glass reactor at $180^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The process was carried out in $N_2$ atmosphere to prevent the oxidation of Pt nanoparticles at high temperature. The morphology and distribution of the Pt nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and we found that the average Pt particle size was ca. 3.7 nm, the penetration depth was ca. $17{\mu}m$. Almost all Pt nanoparticles were formed just beneath the surface and the number density decreased rapidly as the penetration depth increased. To estimate water absorption characteristics of the Nafion membranes, water uptake at an isothermal condition was measured by dynamic vapor sorption (DVS), and it was found that water uptake of the Pt/Nafion membrane was higher than that of the neat Nafion membrane.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1788-1790
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• 2012

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.421-424
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• 2006

Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite membranes were fabricated by chemical in-situ polymerization of pyrrole monomers with Pt precursors in Nafion matrix for DMFC. We demonstrated that positively charged pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole particles were co-interacted with sulfonic groups of Nafion as verified by FT-IR results. Mutual interaction between $Nafion-SO_3^-$ (or negatively charged Pt precursors) and Polypyrrole$-NH_2^+$ influenced the physical properties of pristine Nafion. Thermal property proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and cell performance of pristine and modified Nafion were analyzed for an application of DMFC membrane. Thermal stabilities of sulfonic groups and side chains in Nafion/Pt/polypyrrole composite membranes were higher than those of Nafion due to mutual interaction between sulfonic groups of Nafion and pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole. Methanol permeabilities of Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite were reduced more proton conductivities with the increase in the content of Pt particles. As a result of that, the enhancement of cell performance by Nafion/Pt/Polypyrole O2 relative to Nafion was more pronounced under the specific experimental condition such as high temperature and more concentrated methanol solution.