Monash University Develops New Membrane To Boost Hydrogen Fuel Cell Efficiency At High Temperatures In EVs

Engineers at Monash University have developed an atomically thin membrane that allows hydrogen fuel cells to operate at high temperatures without relying on water for proton transport, addressing a long-standing limitation in clean energy technology.

The research, published in Science Advances, demonstrates a membrane made from graphene and boron nitride nanosheets combined with nanoconfined phosphoric acid. The design enables proton transport at 250 degrees Celsius and delivered high power output in hydrogen fuel cell testing.

The membrane also performed well when using concentrated methanol as a fuel, maintaining stability and efficiency under harsh, high-temperature conditions.

The water problem in fuel cells

Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity, producing water and heat as by-products. They are used in hydrogen-powered vehicles, backup power systems for hospitals and data centres, and space missions where lightweight and reliable energy sources are needed.

However, most current fuel cell systems depend on water-dependent membranes. This reliance on water limits performance at higher temperatures, where efficiency could otherwise improve and system design could be simplified.

Conventional nanosheet assemblies have been explored as an alternative, but they typically suffer from poor proton transport between layers, limiting their use in practical electrochemical devices.

How the new membrane works

The Monash team’s approach combines two proton transport mechanisms within a single membrane architecture.

The nanosheets provide direct proton transport pathways, while the confined phosphoric acid enables rapid proton hopping. Together, these mechanisms deliver both high conductivity and stability under dry, high-temperature conditions.

Professor Huanting Wang, Corresponding Author of the paper from the Monash Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, described the work as addressing a persistent barrier in membrane design.

“By integrating proton-conducting nanosheets with nanoconfined phosphoric acid, we have created a membrane that maintains fast proton transport without relying on water,” Professor Wang explained. “This enables fuel cells to operate efficiently at much higher temperatures than is currently possible.”

Combining transport mechanisms

Dr Kaiqiang He, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the paper’s first author, outlined the technical advance.

“The nanosheets provide direct proton transport pathways, while the confined phosphoric acid enables rapid proton hopping,” Dr He noted. “Together, these mechanisms deliver both high conductivity and stability under dry, high-temperature conditions.”

Applications beyond fuel cells

The researchers argue the same design approach could support a range of electrochemical technologies beyond fuel cells, including water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction and ammonia synthesis.

More broadly, the team positions the work as a platform for designing next-generation proton-conducting materials by integrating two-dimensional nanosheets with nanoconfined proton carriers.

If the approach can be scaled, it could expand the use of fuel cells in transport, heavy industry and future clean energy systems where high-temperature operation offers practical advantages over current water-dependent designs.