RT Journal Article
T1 Flexible Nanocellulose/Lignosulfonates Ion-Conducting Separators for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells
A1 Vilela, Carla
A1 Morais, João
A1 Silva, Ana Cristina
A1 Muñoz Gil, Daniel
A1 Figueiredo, Filipe
A1 Silvestre, Armando
A1 Freire, Carmen
AB The utilization of biobased materials for the fabrication of naturally derived ion-exchange membranes is breezing a path to sustainable separators for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In this investigation, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC, a bacterial polysaccharide) and lignosulfonates (LS, a by-product of the sulfite pulping process), were blended by diffusion of an aqueous solution of the lignin derivative and of the natural-based cross-linker tannic acid into the wet BNC nanofibrous three-dimensional structure, to produce fully biobased ion-exchange membranes. These freestanding separators exhibited good thermal-oxidative stability of up to about 200 °C, in both inert and oxidative atmospheres (N2 and O2, respectively), high mechanical properties with a maximum Young’s modulus of around 8.2 GPa, as well as good moisture-uptake capacity with a maximum value of ca. 78% after 48 h for the membrane with the higher LS content. Moreover, the combination of the conducting LS with the mechanically robust BNC conveyed ionic conductivity to the membranes, namely a maximum of 23 mS·cm–1 at 94 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH) (inplane configuration), that increased with increasing RH. Hence, these robust water-mediated ion conductors represent an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional ion-exchange membranes for application in PEFCs.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
SN 2079-4991
YR 2020
FD 2020
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/94303
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/94303
LA eng
NO Vilela, C.; Morais, J.D.; Silva, A.C.Q.; Muñoz-Gil, D.; Figueiredo, F.M.L.; Silvestre, A.J.D.; Freire, C.S.R. Flexible Nanocellulose/Lignosulfonates Ion-Conducting Separators for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10091713
NO Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology 
NO European Commission
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 abr 2025