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Advances in Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems, ACS Polymer Division Specialized Workshop, February 2007, Asilomar Conference Center, CA
The Division of Polymer Chemistry of the American Chemical Society sponsored the third biennial meeting on “Advances in Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems” in Asilomar, CA, from February 18-21, 2007. As with the prior meetings in 2003 and 2005, this conference assembled the leading fuel cell researchers in the world for a significant exchange of ideas and a frank discussion of where the research community is focusing its efforts as fuel cells move ever closer to wide-spread commercialization. Thomas Zawodzinski, the Ohio Eminent Scholar for Fuel Cells at Case Western Reserve University, and James McGrath, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, were the conference organizers, both of whom have been extremely active in this area for many years. The program spanned all important topics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, including novel membrane chemistry and characterization, catalysis development, electrode characterization, stack design, and system design and modeling.
The program began on Sunday afternoon with three opening plenary lectures and several evening lectures, followed by two and a half days of invited lectures. The Conference also featured two poster sessions, permitting even more individuals to present their latest research and encourage further interactions between investigators. The interactive format and the world-renowned caliber of the invited lectures continue to make this conference one of the seminal fuel cell meetings to date.
The international speakers that were supported though the generous support of the Petroleum Research Support included the following (along with their lecture titles): Prof. Debra Jones, University of Montpellier, France, “Proton Exchange Membranes for High Temperature Fuel Cells;” Prof. Klaus Dieter Kreuer, University of Stuttgart, “Exploring the Limits of Sulfonic Acid Based Proton Conducting Membranes;” Prof. Silvia Licoccia, The University of Rome, Italy, “Strategies to Increase the Operating Temperature of PEMFCs;” Prof. Emil Roduner, Stuttgart University, Germany, “Ex-situ and in-situ Studies of Fuel Cell Membrane Degradation Using ESR Spectroscopy;” Prof. Regis Mercier, CNRS, France, “Ionic Membranes Based on Sulfonated Polybenzimidazoles;” Prof. Michel Pineri, University of Grenoble, France, “Experimental µ X Ray Diffraction Evidence of Membrane Water Desorption and Crystallization Inside Active Layers During Below O°C Cooling of MEA;” Sung Chul Kim, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, “Polymer Blend Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.”
Drs. McGrath and Zawodzinski, the meeting's co-organizers, plan to reassemble the world's leading fuel cell researchers from universities, government, and industrial laboratories for the fourth meeting in 2009 on the same topic: “Advances in Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems.” Inquires about this meeting should be directed to Dr. James E. McGrath at jmcgrath@vt.edu
