Polymer Membranes, Fuel Cells, Microcontrollers (Microchip, TI)
My research encompasses the synthesis of robust polymers containing ion-conducting groups, advanced blending with structural reinforcements, and post-processing of existing membrane materials. The goal is to create membranes of high proton conductivity and low methanol crossover - for direct methanol fuel cells, and of good water retention - for hydrogen fuel cells. The secondary objective is to understand the effects of morphology and physicochemical details at the sub-micrometer level on the macroscopic characteristics of the membranes.