Nanoimprint of Proton Exchange Membrane for MEMS-based Fuel Cell Application

It is difficult to achieve large surface reaction area in MEMS-based fuel cell because of volume and material limits. In this work, we put forward a novel method to get large surface reaction area in MEMS-based fuel cell. The novel method consisted of the formation of fine pattern in proton exchange membrane by nanoimprint technology. We modified the surface of Nafion^reg117 membrane by thermal nanoimprint. MEMS-based direct methanol fuel cell of the nanoimprint membrane showed greatly improved performance. The as-achieved performance was much better than the state-of-the-art of MEMS-based direct methanol fuel cell with planar electrode. Maximum power density had been improved by about 10 times. The nanoimprint technology shows innovative advantages due to low cost and simple process.