Electrochemical cells that cycle lithium ions and methods for suppressing or minimizing dendrite formation are provided. The electrochemical cells include a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed therebetween. At least one transition metal ion-trapping moiety, including one or more polymers functionalized with one or more trapping groups, may be included within the electrochemical cell as a coating, pore filler, substitute pendant group, or binder. The one or more trapping groups may be selected from the group consisting of: crown ethers, siderophores, bactins, ortho-phenanthroline, iminodiacetic acid dilithium salt, oxalates malonates, fumarates, succinates, itaconates, phosphonates, and combinations thereof, and may bind to metal ions found within the electrochemical cell to minimize or suppress formation of dendrite protrusions on the negative electrode.

A method for manufacturing a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell includes agitating a solution containing a precursor to form wire-shaped structures of the precursor and entangle the wire-shaped structures in the solution, adding the precursor to a surface layer portion of a porous base sheet or a base sheet precursor so as to fill pores in the surface layer portion, and calcining the base sheet or the base sheet precursor and the precursor in a range of 1000? C. to 1200? C., thereby forming a porous carbon that is composed of multilayer cavity walls of graphene and has mesoporosity and a hollow wire-shaped crystal structure.

A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 m. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for anion exchange membranes and processes for their manufacture. The anion exchange membranes described herein are made the polymerization product of at least one functional monomer comprising a tertiary amine which is reacted with a quaternizing agent in the polymerization process.

An electrolyte-separating membrane includes a carrier made of a porous and permeable synthetic thermoplastic material that is larger than 0.8 mm in thickness and an active layer made of a material able to induce insertion and deinsertion reactions for selective transfer of cations through the membrane. The active layer is deposited on the carrier and is hermetic. The material of the active layer may in particular be a molybdenum cluster chalcogenide. The invention aims to provide an electrolyte-separating membrane that is able to transfer cations selectively and that may be manufactured with large dimensions. The invention also relates to a cation transfer method employing this membrane and to a process for manufacturing said membrane, in particular by selective laser sintering of a powdered polymer.

An electrolyte membrane having a proton conducting polymer reinforced with a nanofiber mat made from a nanofiber comprising a fiber material selected from polymers and polymer blends; wherein the fiber material has a fiber material proton conductivity; wherein the proton conducting polymer has a proton conducting polymer conductivity; and wherein the fiber material proton conductivity is less than the proton conducting polymer conductivity, and methods of making. In some embodiments, the nanofiber further comprises a proton conducting polymer.

A method for cleaning a separator core in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is a method for cleaning a separator core having an outer peripheral surface around which a separator is to be wound, the method including: an end face cleaning step of removing a foreign object adhered to an end face of the separator core.

A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 m. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

A resilient anion exchange membrane including a homogeneous cross-linked ion-transferring polymer substantially filling pores and substantially covering surfaces of a porous substrate, wherein the resilient anion exchange membrane is prepared by polymerizing a composition including a quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant monomer, a crosslinking monomer including two or more ethylenic groups, a free radical initiator, and a solvent.

A method of making a monomer solution of styrene sulfonic acid or the pyridine salt of styrene sulfonic acid or mixtures of both in an organic solvent, said solution being suitable for producing cation exchange membranes. The method comprises the steps of dissolving a metal salt of styrene sulfonate in said organic solvent and pyridinium styrene sulfonate. The mixture solution is reacted under conditions that generate a salt byproduct precipitate and the reactant product solution is collected. Embodiments of the present invention provide for cation exchange membranes and processes for their manufacture. Membranes made by the processes described herein combine low resistance and high permselectivity which make them highly effective for membrane components in desalination of water by electrodialysis (ED), as a power generating sources in reverse electrodialysis and as separators in fuels cells.