Fabrication of Conducting Nanochannels Using Accelerator for Fuel Cell Membrane and Removal of Radionuclides: Role of Nanoparticles.

Latent tracks in pure polymer and its nanohybrid are fabricated by irradiating with swift heavy ions (SHI) (Ag+) having 140 MeV energy followed by selective chemical etching of the amorphous path, caused by the irradiation of SHI, to generate nanochannels of size ∼80 nm. Grafting is done within the nanochannels utilizing free radicals generated from the interaction of high-energy ions, followed by tagging of ionic species to make the nanochannels highly ion-conducting. The uniform dispersion of two-dimensional nanoparticles better controls the size and number density of the nanochannels and, thereby, converts them into an effective membrane. The nanoparticle and functionalization induce a piezoelectric β-phase in the membrane. The functionalized membrane removes the radioactive nuclide like 241Am+3 (α-emitting source) efficiently (∼80% or 0.35 μg/cm2) from its solution/waste. This membrane act as a corrosion inhibitor (92% inhibition efficiency) together with its higher proton conduction (0.13 S/m) ability. The higher ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, ion conduction, and high sorption by the nanohybrid membrane are explored with respect to the extent of functionalization and control over nanochannel dimension. A membrane electrode assembly has been fabricated to construct a complete fuel cell, which exhibits superior power generation (power density of 45 mW/cm2 at a current density of 298 mA/cm2) much higher than that of the standard Nafion, measured in a similar condition. Further, a piezoelectric matrix along with its anticorrosive property, high sorption characteristics, and greater power generation makes this class of material a smart membrane that can be used for many different applications.