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One of the most widely used polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) in fuel cell research is that of Nafion. Many attempts are being made to improve the properties of Nafion such that it has higher thermal stability, conductivity and, in the case of direct methanol fuel cells, low methanol crossover. The main focus in order to achieve this is through modification of the Nafion membrane itself. PAMAM dendrimers can be used to coat the surface of the membrane. These dendrimers can be incorporated onto the membrane surface through a proton-exchange mechanism, where basic amine groups accept protons from the acidic sulfonate groups in the Nafion structure. The goal of this research is to synthesize and deposit a variety of dendrimers on the surface of Nafion. Conductivities and diffusion measurements are then performed to discover which coatings work the best.
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