Preparation and characterization of chitosan-based nanocomposite hybrid polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell application

The aim of the work was to synthesize nanocomposite membranes based on sulfonated chitosan and PEO blends containing sulfonated silica dioxide (s-SiO2) nanoparticles and investigated their morphological, structural, mechanical, and thermal properties. The electrolytes were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, TG analysis, and water contact angle. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of chitosan, PEO, SiO2, and sulfonic acid groups through the chitosan matrix in which the components used had good compatibility. The mechanical and thermal studies emphasized that strong interactions occurred between sulfonated chitosan, PEO, and s-SiO2. Blending sulfonated chitosan with PEO and the addition of s-SiO2 nanoparticles enhanced the hydrophilic property of chitosan membranes. The s-chitosan /PEO-based nanocomposites containing 7.5wt% of s-SiO2 nanoparticles showed the remarkable improvements in ultimate tensile strength values and an increase in conductivity compared to the chitosan/PEO with s-SiO2 membranes in the order of 10(-2)S/cm at room temperature.