The
material processing procedure of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)
was investigated for use as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) of direct
methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The CNCs were prepared from pulp via
the sulfuric acid hydrolysis homogenization method. Novel biodegradable
and environmentally friendly PEMs with good proton conductivity and
mechanical properties were successfully prepared by grafting cytidine
monophosphate, taurine, and cysteine onto CNC backbones. The DMFC
operation test demonstrated that the modified films had a good power
output performance and lower methanol permeability comparable to those
of the available commercial membrane, which was nonbiodegradable and
involved toxic fluorination. Their high performance and environmental
friendliness indicated that the modified films might have potential
applications in DMFCs.
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