Preparation and characterization of graphene oxide based membranes as possible Gas Diffusion Layers for PEM fuel cells with enhanced surface homogeneity

The aim of this work is to define and optimize a process to produce a membrane made of reduced graphene oxide, r-GO, aiming to use it as Gas Diffusion Layer, GDL, in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell, PEMFC. Some works have reported that r-GO could reach conductivity values of about 104S/m; by using the "self-assembling" properties of GO, it would be possible to obtain a GDL with enhanced homogeneity, which maintains a good electronic conductivity. A reduction process of GO in aqueous solution was developed in order to get the desired conductivity value of the final product. The membrane was characterized through several techniques to assess key parameters and to understand its properties. In this work it was possible to obtain a membrane which has a maximum contact angle of 86° and a conductivity of about 421 S/m.