Nanoporous niobium phosphate electrolyte membrane for low temperature fuel cell

Nanoporous niobium phosphate (Nba??P) electrolyte membranes were prepared by dry pressing Nba??P nanoparticles for low temperature fuel cells. Highly dispersible Nba??P nanoparticles were synthesized by dispersing Nba??P precursor in furfuryl alcohol, which was polymerized to poly(furyfuryl alcohol) as a space-confinement additive during calcination. SEM, TEM and a range of spectroscopies were used to characterize Nba??P particles and membranes (discs). Nanoporous Nba??P membrane exhibited high proton conductivity (17.4 mS cma??1), low methanol permeability (1.1 ?? 10a??7 cm2 sa??1) whereas Nba??P membrane prepared from Nba??P particles synthesized without adding furfuryl alcohol had poor proton conductivity (0.341 mS cma??1) and high methanol permeability (3.13 ?? 10a??5 cm2 sa??1). The cell prepared with nanoporous Nba??P membrane showed good cell performance when operated as both H2a??O2 fuel cell at room temperature and as DMFC at 60 A?C; also this cell performs better than the cell with Nafion membrane at a current density of