What is the purpose of anion exchange membranes in fuel cells?
The purpose of anion exchange membranes in fuel cells is to enable the oxidation of complex fuels beyond hydrogen and methanol.
What are some other applications of anion exchange membranes?
Anion exchange membranes also have applications in energy storage, water electrolyzers, and redox flow batteries.
Are anion exchange membranes commonly used in water treatment applications?
Yes, anion exchange membranes have been known for a long time in water treatment applications.
What are the main challenges in the development of anion exchange membranes for fuel cell technology?
The main challenges are the intrinsic stability of the polymers and demonstrating long device lifetime.
What are some approaches to developing stable materials for anion exchange membranes?
Some approaches include using new types of cations that employ delocalization and steric shielding to mitigate nucleophilic attack by hydroxide.
Are fluorinated membranes necessary for solid polymer electrolyte AMFCs?
Fluorinated membranes are not necessarily required for solid polymer electrolyte AMFCs, but their utility is being evaluated.
Are precious metal catalysts required for AMFCs?
Precious metal catalysts are not needed at least at the cathode, and they may not be necessary on the anode with more research on hydrogen oxidation under basic conditions.
What opportunities do AMFCs offer in terms of fuel cell deployment?
AMFCs offer the opportunity for easier oxidation of carbon-containing fuels and the oxidation of carbon-carbon bonds, opening up new opportunities in fuel cell deployment.
What is the standard method for producing anion exchange membranes?
The standard method involves chloromethylation of an aromatic polymer and quaternization of benzylchloride with a tertiary amine.
Have new routes for synthesizing anion exchange membranes been developed?
Yes, new routes such as direct polymerization of cationic monomers or precursors to cationic groups have expanded the number of approaches to new anion exchange membranes.