Perfluoroalkylic decorated cerium oxide nanoparticles as compatible radical scavengers in Aquivion®-based proton exchange membrane fuel cells with improved durability
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are highly efficient devices for converting chemical energy into electrical energy. At present, however, their large-scale implementation is primarily hindered by the limited lifetime of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which typically utilizes perfluorinated ionomers, such as Nafion™. Current research focuses on incorporating radical scavenging species into the MEA to enhance durability. This work investigates the use of functionalized CeO 2 nanoparticles coupled with Aquivion®, a short-sidechain ionomer that outperforms state-of-the-art Nafion™. The novelty lies in the application of organosilanes bearing fluorinated chains as grafting agents on the CeO 2 surface to improve filler-polymer compatibility. The most promising nanocomposites exhibit uniform filler dispersion, and a 50% reduction in both swelling ratio and ex-situ fluoride ions emission rate, while maintaining conductivity values above 150 mS cm -1 at 80°C and 100% RH. Furthermore, fuel cell performance comparable to, or exceeding, pristine Aquivion® was observed, with negligible degradation after >650 h of accelerated stress testing. These findings could pave the way for a new generation of composite membranes featuring polymer-tailored scavenger functionalization.
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BibTeX
@article{stucchi2026perfluoroalkylic,
title = {{Perfluoroalkylic decorated cerium oxide nanoparticles as compatible radical scavengers in Aquivion®-based proton exchange membrane fuel cells with improved durability}},
author = {Diego Stucchi and Alessandro R Ferrari and Tommaso Caielli and Antonio G Di Tolla and Rodrigo Schneider and Marc Dupont and Daniele Mora and Elena Colomo and Gioele Pagot and Vito Di Noto and Andrea Baricci and Sara Cavaliere and Piercarlo Mustarelli},
journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.158193},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05826677v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Perfluoroalkylic decorated cerium oxide nanoparticles as compatible radical scavengers in Aquivion®-based proton exchange membrane fuel cells with improved durability
AU - Diego Stucchi
AU - Alessandro R Ferrari
AU - Tommaso Caielli
AU - Antonio G Di Tolla
AU - Rodrigo Schneider
AU - Marc Dupont
AU - Daniele Mora
AU - Elena Colomo
AU - Gioele Pagot
AU - Vito Di Noto
AU - Andrea Baricci
AU - Sara Cavaliere
AU - Piercarlo Mustarelli
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.158193
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05826677v1
AB - Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are highly efficient devices for converting chemical energy into electrical energy. At present, however, their large-scale implementation is primarily hindered by the limited lifetime of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which typically utilizes perfluorinated ionomers, such as Nafion™. Current research focuses on incorporating radical scavenging species into the MEA to enhance durability. This work investigates the use of functionalized CeO 2 nanoparticles coupled with Aquivion®, a short-sidechain ionomer that outperforms state-of-the-art Nafion™. The novelty lies in the application of organosilanes bearing fluorinated chains as grafting agents on the CeO 2 surface to improve filler-polymer compatibility. The most promising nanocomposites exhibit uniform filler dispersion, and a 50% reduction in both swelling ratio and ex-situ fluoride ions emission rate, while maintaining conductivity values above 150 mS cm -1 at 80°C and 100% RH. Furthermore, fuel cell performance comparable to, or exceeding, pristine Aquivion® was observed, with negligible degradation after >650 h of accelerated stress testing. These findings could pave the way for a new generation of composite membranes featuring polymer-tailored scavenger functionalization.
SN - 0360-3199
SN - 1879-3487
ER -