The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is directly related to the properties of the membrane electrode assembly which can be significantly improved by ultra-thin proton exchange membranes. In this study, electrospinning and direct membrane deposition were used to prepare poly(arylene ether sulfone) nanofiber reinforced proton exchange membranes. The resulting composite membrane was very thin, about 13 μm. The fuel cell peak power density with H2/air with this membrane of 1.18 W/cm2 was 23% higher than with a commercial membrane of similar thickness (Nafion® NC700-CCM), 0.96 W/cm2. By optimizing the catalyst ink composition and using gas diffusion layer with better hydrophobicity, the fuel cell peak power density increased to 3.55 W/cm2 for H2/O2. The relative humidity at the cathode had little influence on the fuel cell performance. Hence, the membrane electrode assembly reinforced with a poly(arylene ether sulfone) nanofiber layer provides excellent fuel cell performance, even with low humidities for fuel cell applications.
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