Vanderbilt University

Jason Ballengee

Peter N Pintauro

Andrew Park

Matthew Brodt

A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of: where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.

Composite membranes, methods of making same, and applications of same

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, includes fabricating each of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, and the membrane separately by electrospinning; and placing the membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and pressing then together to form the fuel cell MEA.

Nanofiber membrane-electrode-assembly and method of fabricating same

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a composite membrane includes: forming a first polymer solution from a first polymer and a second polymer solution from a second polymer, respectively, where the first polymer includes a charged polymer and the second polymer includes an uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first and second polymer solutions to form a dual fiber mat with first polymer fibers and second polymer fibers; and processing the dual fiber mat by softening and flowing one of the first or second polymer fibers to fill in the void space between the other of the first and second polymer fibers so as to form the composite membrane. In some embodiments, the composite membrane may be a proton exchange membrane (PEM) or an anion exchange membrane (AEM).

In one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) has an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. At least one of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the membrane is formed of electrospun nanofibers.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Hill, TX, United States of America

Jason Ballengee