Neutron Techniques as a Probe of Structure, Dynamics, and Transport in Polyelectrolyte Membranes

Polyelectrolyte membranes (PEMs) have been employed as solid electrolytes in fuel-cell technologies as early as the 1950s, when they were used in NASA’s Gemini program. However, PEM materials have only gained wide-spread attention in the last two decades due to advancements in membrane electrode-assembly (MEA) formation and the synthesis of new and interesting materials. Over the past several decades, various neutron techniques have played an instrumental role in measuring the structure and transport properties of PEMs in order to develop a deeper understanding of structure-property and performance relationships in PEM materials for fuel-cell applications.