title: Biomembranes for fuel cell electrolytes employing anhydrous proton conducting uracil composites.
abstract: The controls of proton transfer through membranes involve fundamental properties of chemical energy conversion in industrial devices as well as living systems. In particular, ion-exchange membranes are generally used as superior proton conductors for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) due to the fluidic nature of water, although the cell operation above the boiling point (>100 degrees C) has been considered to provide a higher efficiency and an easier humidity management. We show that biomembranes consisting of uracil and chitin phosphate have large anhydrous proton conductivities over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 160 degrees C with sufficient thermal stabilities. Water-free conductivities exceeding 10(-3) S cm(-1) have been obtained in the elastic polymeric material, and the fuel cell employing the biomembrane as an electrolyte exhibited a stable current generation under non-humidified H2/O2 conditions at 160 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Energy Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Honma
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004573:Electrolytes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010755:Organophosphates; D011522:Protons; D012313:RNA; D014498:Uracil
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010755:Organophosphates; D011522:Protons; D002686:Chitin; D014498:Uracil; D012313:RNA