Review on the Utilization of Nanoparticles for Enhanced Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are highly efficient, environmentally friendly, lightweight, and generate minimal noise, making them suitable for portable and transportation energy conversion applications. The most commonly used proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in PEMFCs are perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes, with the Nafion membrane being a notable example that currently dominates the market. However, Nafion membranes have limitations, including low conductivity under anhydrous conditions, high manufacturing costs, and performance degradation at high temperatures. To address these limitations, extensive research has been conducted to improve Nafion's performance through the incorporation of organic and inorganic additives. In this review, we summarize the character-istics related to mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties, as well as proton conductivity, observed in Nafion-based composite membranes incorporating various nanoparticle additives.