Polymers for Fuel Cells – Scattering and Simulations

Synopsis

Ion-conducting polymers are integral components of fuel cells as they are part of both the catalyst layers at anode and cathode and the polymer electrolyte membrane between them. They have interesting morphology that is impacted by both phase separation and crystallization. In this talk, I will describe how we study this morphology by scattering and simulation in order to inform design of new materials through fundamental understanding of the relationship between microstructure and conductivity.