Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) based membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

The decreasing availability of fossil fuels and the increasing impact of greenhouse gases on the environment lead to an extensive development of more efficient or renewable energy sources. The direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) as a portable energy source is a promising and fast growing technology which meets these demands. Up to now, methanol is mostly studied as a fuel for these devices, however, applying ethanol has some evident advantages over methanol. The major challenges in direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) research on component level are the catalyst development and the electrolyte membrane development. The focus of this thesis lies on the development and characterization of proton conductive membranes for application in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFC). Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) based organic-inorganic mixed-matrix membranes are developed and, in addition, the inorganic phase is modified with functional silanes carrying basic groups. The membranes are characterized with respect to fuel crossover, proton conductivity, membrane stability and direct ethanol fuel cell tests.