Editorial

Outlook on IonomerMembranes

Fuel Cells – From Fundamentals to Systems publishes on allaspects of fuel cells, ranging from their molecular basis totheir applications in systems such as power plants, road vehi-cles and power sources in portable devices. The materialschallenges associated with fuel cell development will con-tinue to attract significant attention and resources until solu-tions are found to the several bottlenecks, and market intro-duction becomes reality, albeit progressively. Critical issuespersist in terms of materials properties and materials stabilityfor the membrane – electrode assembly at the “heart of thefuel cell”, and Fuel Cells – From Fundamentals to Systems is aprimary communication channel for developments in thesefields. Demanding applications requirements in terms of therange of temperature of operation and relative humidity, and

high power density, necessitate a particularly creative effortfor the development of novel MEA materials.

CARISMA – a European Coordination Action of Researchon Intermediate and high temperature Specialised Mem-brane-electrode Assemblies – was born from discussions withmany colleagues in industry and research institutes alike onthe need for a forum in Europe specifically devoted to discus-sion of the materials challenges represented by the mediumand high temperature operation required for automotive andstationary fuel cell applications. CARISMA assembles Eur-opean research expertise from industry, including SMEs,research organisation and universities. Its partnership com-prises 40 groups from throughout Europe. Some of these arethemselves national groupings, or represent the link partner

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to funded European Integrated or Specific Targeted ResearchProjects. The network is recognised by the International Part-nership for a Hydrogen Economy.

As part of a series of Workshops recently organised by theCARISMA project, over 90 participants assembled at theChristk�nighaus in Stuttgart, Germany in November 2007 toreview current progress on “Ionomer Membranes for Medi-um and High Temperature PEM Fuel Cells”, where resour-cefulness in the European ionomer membranes communitywas in full evidence. The Workshop was held over 3 days.

The programme was organised around invited lecturesfrom the international community and from the CARISMAcommunity, both industrial and academic organisations, anda dense programme of contributed talks and poster sessions.A round table evening session debated topics including thebenefits of inorganic particles and networks and directedmembrane morphologies, limits of sulfonic acid functiona-lised polymers, current targets for anion exchange polymermembranes, status of high temperature membrane develop-ment based on immobilised solvents, and MEA developmentusing membranes with novel functions. This Workshop was

the occasion for networking, discussion of results, and devel-opment of future collaborative work. Following on from twoprevious Topical Issues on Ionomer Membranes in April andAugust 2005, the present Topical Issue is a lasting record ofseveral of the papers presented at the “Ionomer Membranesfor Medium and High Temperature PEM Fuel Cells”Workshop, and it provides an outlook on some of the trendsin medium-high temperature membrane research, in Europein particular. Further international update on all medium –high temperature MEA materials issues is foreseen at theProgress in MEA Components for Medium and High Tem-perature Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells conference to beheld in France from 21st to 24th September 2008 (http://www.progressmea2008.eu), proceedings from which will bepublished in a future volume of Fuel Cells – From Fundamen-tals to Systems.

Deborah JonesCARISMA Project CoordinatorMontpellier July 2008

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