In this disclosure, an ion-conducting membrane (10), a component (100) having the ion-conducting membrane (10) and a process for making the membrane (10) and the component (100) are disclosed. The ion-conducting membrane (10) includes a homogenous blend (12) and one or more additives (14). The selected one or more polymers are present in a mass-percentage in a range from 1% to 40. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) simultaneously increases the power and efficiency of the devices by combining advances in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and manufacturing. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) overcomes limitations in the currently known technologies without compromising the advantageous properties. The present membrane (10) provides non-linear performance enhancement in electrochemical devices that leads to overall system level cost reduction.

Stabilized surfactant-based membranes and methods of manufacture thereof. Membranes comprising a stabilized surfactant mesostructure on a porous support may be used for various separations, including reverse osmosis and forward osmosis. The membranes are stabilized after evaporation of solvents; in some embodiments no removal of the surfactant is required. The surfactant solution may or may not comprise a hydrophilic compound such as an acid or base. The surface of the porous support is preferably modified prior to formation of the stabilized surfactant mesostructure. The membrane is sufficiently stable to be utilized in commercial separations devices such as spiral wound modules. Also a stabilized surfactant mesostructure coating for a porous material and filters made therefrom. The coating can simultaneously improve both the permeability and the filtration characteristics of the porous material.

Disclosed is an ion conducting layer for fuel cells, through which ions generated by oxidation of liquid fuel pass before the ions reach a membrane in a fuel cell. The ion conducting layer includes: a substrate into which the liquid fuel and an electrolyte are introduced; and pores formed in the substrate, wherein the pores are formed at a porosity of 10% or more in the substrate to suppress a crossover phenomenon in which the liquid fuel passes through the membrane.

The present disclosure provides a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with high-efficiency water and heat management for a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC), and a fabrication method therefor, and belongs to the technical field of fuel cells. In the MEA for a DEFC in the present disclosure, a cathode catalyst layer is designed to be convex and ordered and an anode catalyst layer is designed to be concave and ordered, which is conducive to the timely discharge of the generated heat. The MEA for a DEFC can be fabricated by gradually fabricating each layer of the MEA on an inner surface and an outer surface of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) or by step-by-step dip coating on an anode support tube. The present disclosure can effectively improve the working capacity of the cell.

The present disclosure provides a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with high-efficiency water and heat management for a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC), and a fabrication method therefor, and belongs to the technical field of fuel cells. In the MEA for a DEFC in the present disclosure, a cathode catalyst layer is designed to be convex and ordered and an anode catalyst layer is designed to be concave and ordered, which is conducive to the timely discharge of the generated heat. The MEA for a DEFC can be fabricated by gradually fabricating each layer of the MEA on an inner surface and an outer surface of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) or by step-by-step dip coating on an anode support tube. The present disclosure can effectively improve the working capacity of the cell.

A nanocomposite blend membrane and fabrication methods for making the nanocomposite membrane are disclosed. The nanocomposite blend membrane can be utilized in fuel cells. The nanocomposite blend membrane may include a blend polymer with a first sulfonated polymer and a second sulfonated polymer, as well as sulfonated tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3) nanoparticles.

A direct isopropanol fuel cell adapted for use in ambient conditions and utilizing as fuel isopropanol and water preferably with isopropanol at relatively high concentrations representing 30% to 90% isopropanol.

The present invention provides a methanol solid oxide fuel cell and a power generation system comprising the same, wherein the fuel cell is a tubular SOFC cell stack, the tubular SOFC cell stack comprises a plurality of tubular SOFC single cells, and a side wall of an inner pipe of the tubular SOFC single cell at a fuel inlet is of a porous layer structure; an inner wall of the inner pipe is coated with a methanol pyrolysis catalyst layer, and the thickness of the catalyst layer gradually increases along a moving direction of the fuel in the inner pipe. The methanol solid oxide fuel cell can effectively relieve carbon deposition of the anode of the methanol SOFC, and can ensure that the temperature of the whole cell is more uniform and the cell performance is more stable.

Provided are membranes useful for electrochemical or fuel cells. A membrane may be formed of or include a sulfonated polymer whereby the sulfonated polymer is covalently or ionically associated with a multi-nitrogen containing heterocyclic molecule. The resulting membranes possess excellent ion conductivity and selectivity.

Provided are membranes useful for electrochemical or fuel cells. A membrane may be formed of or include a sulfonated polymer whereby the sulfonated polymer is covalently or ionically associated with a multi-nitrogen containing heterocyclic molecule. The resulting membranes possess excellent ion conductivity and selectivity.