Network Models of Ion Aggregation

Membrane Morphology Structural Models Cluster-Network Models of Ion Aggregation 

In the Gierke model, the formation of a critical number of necks signals the percolation transition in proton conductivity, that is, the emergence of an uninterrupted 

Random network models, based upon assumptions of the Gierke model, proved useful for understanding water fluxes and proton transport properties of the PEM in fuel cells. They helped in rationalizing the percolation transition in proton conductivity upon water uptake. 

However, the proposal of narrow necks as proton connectors between inverted micelles has spurred debates and caused confusion. As there is no experimental evidence for the formation of such necks, their structure, ion content, and protonconducting ability have remained elusive. A modern version of the theory of neck formation, proposed by loselevich et al. (2004), addressed some of these issues. 

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