CeO2 stabilized by tourmaline as a novel inorganic filler to simultaneously increase the conductivity and durability of proton exchange membranes

An effective new bifunctional inorganic filler, a tourmaline (TM)-loaded CeO2 core-shell micronanostructure (TM-CeO2), was designed and implemented to simultaneously increase the stability and proton conductivity of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA)-based proton exchange membranes. Composite membranes exhibited excellent mechanical strength, chemical stability, and proton conductivity upon the introduction of TM-CeO2 into the PFSA matrix. The presence of TM provided excellent proton conductivity and mechanical strength to composite membranes, while the addition of CeO2 alleviated the chemical deterioration of composite membranes by scavenging hydroxyl radicals. The maximum power density of the PFSA/TM-CeO2 (1 wt%) composite membrane at 80 degrees C and 100% RH was 1006 mW cm(-1), whereas that of the pristine PFSA membrane under identical conditions was only 906 mW cm(-1). Additionally, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) containing PFSA/TM-CeO2 membranes show a decay of only 0.29 mV h(-1) in 168 h while operating at 80 degrees C and 50% RH. Compared to PFSA/TM-CeO2, PEMFCs with a pristine PFSA membrane showed a decay of 2.18 mV h(-1) under the same conditions. These results clearly indicate that PFSA/TM-CeO2 composite membranes may be promising candidates for PEM fuel cells.