For more information about this meeting, contact Hope Shaffer, Jinchao Xu, Kris Jenssen.
| Title: | Pore formation in Polymer Electrolytes |
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| Seminar: | Computational and Applied Mathematics Colloquium |
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| Speaker: | Keith Promislow, Michigan State University |
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| Abstract: |
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| Much of our quality of life in the 21st century will
depend upon how efficiently we use our energy resources. The efficient
conversion of energy from one form to another, particularly solar, chemical
or thermal to electric, requires detailed nano-structured morphology. The
polymer electrolytes in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells conduct protons
while forming a barrier for electrons and molecular gases. We provide experimental
evidence that they dynamically form a complex nanostructured pore network when exposed to liquid
water, and provide a novel mathematical model for the solvent-polymer interaction which
incorporates the functionalization of the polymer sidechains. We show that our model resides
within a mathematical class of energies, which we call functionalized Lagrangians, which have a rich structure,
preserving the critical points of the old Lagrangian, while generating new critical points (here
the pore network) in a controllable, if hysteric, manner. |
Room Reservation Information
| Room Number: | MB106 |
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| Date: | 02 / 22 / 2008 |
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| Time: | 03:35pm - 04:25pm |
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