Fuel Cells (FC) continue to receive growing attention, in spite of not being a new technology, for they are considered as the "energy source of the future" owing to characteristics such as high energetic yield and low emission of pollutants. FC technology may lead to a reduction in the negative impact from energy sources on the enviroment, thus improving the quality of life and extending the lifetime of fossil combustible reserves. The mainstream of research in FC is now directed at mobile, portable systems, for which the most promising technology is the Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells, also known as PEMFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell). Research in this topic focuses on the development of polymer membranes whose target is to reduce its production costs. In this work we shall focus on physicochemical aspects related to development of polymeric membranes. A discussion on structural aspects of Nafion® will be carried, which will be related to the following physicochemical properties: electrosmotic flux, gaseous permeability, water transport through polimeric membrane, chemical and thermal stabilities. All the discussion was made using Nafion® as model of perfluorated polymers.
Fuel cell; Nafion; polimeric membrane
