MIT creates new material for fuel cells

Cambridge, Mass -- U.S. engineers say they have improved the power output of one type of fuel cell by more than 50 percent by creating a new fuel cell membrane.

The researchers, led by Professor Paula Hammond, say the new, less expensive technology could lead to energy storage devices finding a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics.

"Our goal is to replace traditional fuel-cell membranes with these cost-effective, highly tunable and better-performing materials," said Hammond, noting the new material has potential for use in other electrochemical systems such as batteries.

Using a relatively new technique known as layer-by-layer assembly, the MIT researchers created a thin film that is two orders of magnitude less permeable to methanol, but compares favorably to current membranes in proton conductivity.

The work that included Avni Argun and J. Nathan Ashcraft appeared in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.