• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2007

Pt/Nafion self-humidifying membranes for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) were synthesized via a supercritical-impregnation method. The Nafion 112 membranes were impregnated with Pt(II) acetylacetonate from a supercritical carbon dioxide ($scCO_2$) solution at $80^{\circ}C$ and 19.8 MPa. After the impregnation, the Pt-impregnated Nafion membrane was converted Pt deposited Nafion(Pt/Nafion) membrane by reducing agent, sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$) under $50^{\circ}C$ and 2 hours. The prepared Pt/Nafion membranes were investigated by SEM, EDS and EPMA. The performance of the Pt/Nafion membranes was examined in PEMFC as a self-humidifying membrane. The cell performance of the Pt/Nafion membrane at $65^{\circ}C$ is better than that of Nafion 112.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.5728-5735
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• 2015

This study attempts to verify the applicability of ceramic membrane as a separator by comparing the power generation characteristics in single-chamber MFCs using ceramic membranes to those in the MFCs using nafion membrane. The generated power in MFCs by using acetate as a substrate was more stable than that by using formate, propionate and butyrate, respectively. It was shown that the generated power by using formate substrate in MFCs was unstable and a little higher than that by using acetate, and the power generated by using propionate and butyrate were lower than that by using acetate. In order to find out the Pt catalyst effect, it was compared the power generated in MFCs using Pt-coated carbon cloth as electrode to that power using normal carbon cloth. The power generated in MFCs using Pt-coated carbon cloth as electrode was 1.2 times higher than that using normal carbon cloth. The Pt-coated carbon cloth was about 5 times more expensive than normal carbon cloth. It is suggested that both power generation efficiency and cost together should be considered in selecting electrodes of MFCs. It was found that the ceramic membrane was superior to nafion membrane by comparing to the power generation characteristics obtained. It was shown that average voltage values were $523.67mV{\pm}49.41mV$ by using synthetic wastewater, in MFCs of ceramic membrane as a separator. While average voltage values were $424.09mV{\pm}79.95mV$ by using synthetic wastewater, in MFCs of nafion membrane as a separator. The organic removal efficiency, 41.7% by using ceramic membrane was a little bit higher than 40.8% by using nafion membrane. This research implies ceramic membrane can be a valid alternative to nafion membrane as a separator when considering the power generation and the efficiency of organics removal.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.377-383
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• 2009

Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator generates bending actuation via ion/water flux to the cathode side under an electric field. Polyelectrolytes in IPMC should possess high water-retention capability, proton conductivity, and Young's modulus. In this study. for endowing IPMCs with these properties, Nafion-alumina composite membranes containing $\alpha$- or $\gamma$-aluminas of $4{\sim}8$ wt% were prepared. Mechanical moduli of Nafion-alumina composite membranes were $7{\sim}3$ MPa higher than that of Nafion, with the slight decrease in proton conductivity. At DC 3 V. the actuation performance of the Nafion-$\alpha$-alumina (8 wt%)-IPMC was superior to that of the typical Nafion-IPMC. exhibiting 2.7 times the displacement with an enhanced blocking force. The enhanced actuation performance with the Nafion-$\alpha$-alumina composite membranes was attributed to the higher proton conductivity, the elevated ion/water flux, and the lower interfacial electric resistance of platinum electrodes and membrane, compared with those containing $\gamma$-alumina.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.286.2-286.2
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• 2013

기존의 이온성 고분자-금속 복합체(IPMC)는 백금(Pt)전극을 이온성 전기활성 고분자(Ionic electroactive polymer)인 나피온에 무전해 도금으로 만들어졌다. 본 연구는 백금전극을 그래핀으로 대체하여 투명 이온성 고분자-그래핀 복합체(IPGC)를 제작하였다. 그래핀은 근적외선 화학기상증착법(NIR-CVD)으로 전이금속 (Cu, Ni) 위에 탄화수소 가스(CH4)를 이용하여 성장하였다. 전이 금속위에 성장된 그래핀을 나피온 양쪽면에 van der Waals 결합력을 이용하는 습식 전이공정으로 전극을 형성하였다. IPGC는 면 저항(4-point probe), 투과도(UV/Vis spectrometer) 및 라만 분광법(Micro Raman spectroscopy)의 측정으로 그래핀 전극의 특성평가를 하였고, 전계방사 주사전자현미경(Field Emisson Scanning Electron Microscope; FE-SEM)을 사용하여 IPGC의 구조적 특성을 확인하였다. 제작된 IPGC의 성능은 백금전극을 이용한 IPMC의 변위(displacement), 힘(force), 작동 주파수(Operating frequency) 분석을 통해 비교 평가하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.421-424
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• 2006

Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite membranes were fabricated by chemical in-situ polymerization of pyrrole monomers with Pt precursors in Nafion matrix for DMFC. We demonstrated that positively charged pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole particles were co-interacted with sulfonic groups of Nafion as verified by FT-IR results. Mutual interaction between $Nafion-SO_3^-$ (or negatively charged Pt precursors) and Polypyrrole$-NH_2^+$ influenced the physical properties of pristine Nafion. Thermal property proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and cell performance of pristine and modified Nafion were analyzed for an application of DMFC membrane. Thermal stabilities of sulfonic groups and side chains in Nafion/Pt/polypyrrole composite membranes were higher than those of Nafion due to mutual interaction between sulfonic groups of Nafion and pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole. Methanol permeabilities of Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite were reduced more proton conductivities with the increase in the content of Pt particles. As a result of that, the enhancement of cell performance by Nafion/Pt/Polypyrole O2 relative to Nafion was more pronounced under the specific experimental condition such as high temperature and more concentrated methanol solution.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2012

Nafion ionomer located in electrode helps to increase the platinum utilization and proton conductivity. To achieve higher performance in PEMFCs, it is important an optimum Nafion content in the electrode. As the platinum loading and fabricated method depend on the optimum Nafion content. In this study, we have examined the interrelationship between platinum loading and Nafion content fabricated by decal transfer method. For electrodes with 0.25 and 0.4 mg/$cm^2$ Pt loading, best performance was obtained at 25 wt.% Nafion ionomer loading. It is also found that MEA with 0.25 mg/$cm^2$ Pt, the optimum Nafion content appears differently at low and high current density.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.270-275
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• 2016

A simple solid state incorporation method was employed in order to incorporate Pd nanocatalyst into a Nafion film for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) via the reduction of palladium (II) bis (acetylacetonate), $Pd(acac)_2$. It was sublimed, penetrated into Nafion film and then reduced to Pd nanoparticles simultaneously in a glass reactor of N2 atmosphere at $180^{\circ}C$ for 1, 3 and 5 min. This reaction was took place without any reducing agent and any solvent. The morphology of the Pd nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Pd distribution was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). And 23% modification of tensile strength of Pd/Nafion composite film was measured by universal testing machine and I-V curve was estimated by using a unit cell with $5{\times}5cm^2$ active area.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 2012

A simple drying process was developed for the preparation of a Pt/Nafion self-humidifying membrane to be used for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Platinum (II) bis (acetylacetonate), $Pt(acac)_2$ was sublimed, penetrated into the surface of a Nafion film and then reduced to Pt nanoparticles simultaneously without any support of a reducing agent in a glass reactor at $180^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The process was carried out in $N_2$ atmosphere to prevent the oxidation of Pt nanoparticles at high temperature. The morphology and distribution of the Pt nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and we found that the average Pt particle size was ca. 3.7 nm, the penetration depth was ca. $17{\mu}m$. Almost all Pt nanoparticles were formed just beneath the surface and the number density decreased rapidly as the penetration depth increased. To estimate water absorption characteristics of the Nafion membranes, water uptake at an isothermal condition was measured by dynamic vapor sorption (DVS), and it was found that water uptake of the Pt/Nafion membrane was higher than that of the neat Nafion membrane.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2007

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a promising power source for portable applications due to many advantages such as simple construction, compact design, high energy density, and relatively high energy-conversion efficiency. In this work, an electrochemical methanol sensor for monitoring the methanol concentration in direct methanol fuel cells was fabricated using a thin composite nafion membrane as the electrolyte. We have analyzed the I-V characteristic of the fabricated methanol sensor as a function of methanol concentration, catalyst electrode and platinum(Pt) thickness. The fabricated sensor was analyzed by I-V measurement with various methanol concentration. When we measured the sensor characteristics with 10nm Pt and at 1V, the current value was $1.30{\times}10^{-6}A,\;1.96{\times}10^{-6}A\;and\;2.80{\times}10^{-6} A$ for three methanol concentration of 1M, 2M and 3M, respectively. When the methanol concentration was fixed at 2M, the current value of the fabricated device with Pt layers of 5, 10 and 15 nm thickness was $3.06{\times}10^{-6}A,\;1.96{\times}10^{-6}A\;and\;1.00{\times}10^{-6}A$, respectively. These results lead us to the conclusion that when the methanol concentration increases, the output current increases and when the catalyst electrode become thinner, the current increase more. It showed that, the thinner the catalyst electrode, the more electrochemistry become activation.