Binder for membrane-electrode assembly containing porous material and method of preparing same

Abstract

Provided is a binder for membrane-electrode assemblies. It includes a polymer with multiple hydrogen ion-conducting functional groups and a porous material associated with at least one of those groups. The polymer may feature side chains containing carboxyl, phosphoric acid, or sulfonic acid groups, and can be based on perfluorosulfonic acid or hydrocarbon polymers. The porous material may have hydroxyl groups and can include substances such as cyclodextrin, calixarene, pillararene, or cage polymers. A method of preparing the binder involves mixing the polymer and porous material, then heat treating to promote their interaction. This binder can enhance oxygen permeability and improve the performance of membrane-electrode assemblies.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.