Chitosan doped membranes for electrochemical devices

Abstract

The development of new proton exchange membrane (PEM) for electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, have attracted researcher’s attention in the pursuit for more sustainable and cost-effective technologies for clean energy production, being extensive those for CO2 reduction and conversion1,2. To this end, in the present work, new modified chitosan (CS) membranes doped with ionic liquids (ILs) were developed to perform as PEM at those electrochemical devices, as an alternative to widely used commercial Nafion, with several advantages such as wider availability, lower cost, biodegradability and thermal stability. These modified membranes for use in electrochemical devices are expected to show suitably enhanced ion conductivity and also improved mechanical strength associated to a decrease in water uptake.