Structural characterization of a customised anion exchange membrane for fuel cell via neutron reflectivity

Over the past decades, fuel cell (FC) research has grown exponentially with the continued development of new materials and systems for automotive and stationary applications. FCs are typically divided into two categories, namely proton exchange membranes and hydroxide conducting anion exchange membranes (AEM). Several attempts have been made to improve ionic conductivities in AEMs. Further limitations arise from the limited knowledge about how swelling, water uptake, internal structure and composition distribution throughout the film correlates with the transport properties. Here we intend to structurally characterise a membrane prepared from the ionomer used to fabricate AEM membrane for fuel cell according to the procedure suggested by Willdorf-Cohen. This proposed study will complement our investigation allow us to obtain a great insight into structure-dynamic correlation.