The recent development of ultrathin anion exchange membranes and optimization of their operating conditions have significantly enhanced the performance of alkaline-membrane fuel cells (AMFCs); however, the effects of the membrane/electrode interface structure on the AMFC performance have not been seriously investigated thus far. Herein, we report on a high-performance AMFC system with a membrane/electrode interface of novel design. Commercially available membranes are modified in the form of well-aligned line arrays of both the anode and cathode sides by means of a solvent-assisted molding technique and sandwich-like assembly of the membrane and polydimethylsiloxane molds. Upon incorporating the patterned membranes into a single-cell system, we observe a significantly enhanced performance of up to ∼35% compared with that of the reference membrane. The enlarged interface area and reduced membrane thickness from the line-patterned membrane/electrode interface result in improved water management, reduced ohmic resistance, and effective utilization of the catalyst. We believe that our findings can significantly contribute further advancements in AMFCs.
Keywords: alkaline membrane fuel cell; anion exchange membrane; dual-side patterning; membrane−electrode assembly; water management.