Ultrathin and Super Strong UHMWPE Supported Composite Anion Exchange Membranes with Outstanding Fuel Cells Performance

For high-performance anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), the anion exchange membrane (AEMs) should be as thin as possible to reduce the ohmic resistance. However, the mechanical stability of ultrathin AEMs cannot be guaranteed, as well as a huge risk of gas (H2&O2) permeation. In this work, composite AEMs based on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) are prepared by in situ bulk polymerization. The as-prepared composite membranes can be as thin as 4 µm, and possess super high strength beyond 150 MPa. It also shows extremely low hydrogen permeation, low water uptake, low dimensional swelling, high conductivity, and good alkaline stability. In addition, the fuel cell performance based on the ultrathin composite AEMs exhibits outstanding peak power density of 1014 and 534 mW cm−2 for H2-O2 and H2-Air (CO2-free) at 65 °C, respectively, as well as good short-term durability.