Preparation and properties of anion exchange membranes having pyridinium or pyridinium derivatives as anion exchange groups

Anion exchange membranes with pyridinum groups and various pyridinium derivative groups were prepared from a copolymer membrane composed of chloromethylstyrene and divinylbenzene, and pyridine and pyridine derivatives. The anion exchange membranes obtained showed excellent electrochemical properties in electrodialysis. The transport numbers of sulfate ions, bromide ions, nitrate ions, and fluoride ions relative to chloride ions were evaluated in connection with the species of a substituent and the position of the substituent in the pyridinium groups. In general, when a hydrophilic substituent (methanol groups) existed at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups, nitrate ions and bromide ions, which are less hydrated, permeated through the membranes with difficulty, and sulfate ions permeated selectively through the membranes. On the other hand, when hydrophobic groups, for example, ethyl groups, existed at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups, bromide ions and nitrate ionspermeated selectively through the membranes and fluoride ions had difficulty permeating through the membranes. The carbon number of the alkyl chain of 4-alkyl pyridinium groups also affected permeation of nitrate ions and bromide ions due to the change in hydrophilicity of the membranes. Though the hydration of the anions and the species of the substituent at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups were related to selective permeation of the anion through the membranes, permeation of sulfate ions was not as sensitive to the hydrophilicity of the membranes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 49–58, 1998     

Influence of the heterogeneous structure on the electrochemical properties of anion exchange membranes

In this study, the influence of the degree of the heterogeneity on the electrochemical behaviors was investigated for commercial anion exchange membranes using three monovalent organic electrolytes with sodium form (acetate, d-gluconate and monovalent citrate), which can be produced from fermentation processes, and an inorganic electrolyte (NaCl). As indicators of the heterogeneity for anion exchange membranes, the fraction of the inter-gel phase and the conducting phase in the membrane structure were considered in this study. Using the isoconductance value of an anion exchange membrane, the diffusion coefficient through the joint-gel phase in the membrane structure showed the sequence of chloride > acetate > gluconate > monovalent citrate. The fraction of the inter-gel phase of the heterogeneous membranes was much higher than that of the homogeneous membranes due to the heterogeneous structure. In addition, the fractions of conducting phase of heterogeneous membranes were estimated as much lower than those of homogeneous membranes. It was shown in the study that the heterogeneous structures affected the electrochemical properties of anion exchange membranes, which were characterized by the chronopotentiometry and the current–voltage relationship.     

Application of polysulfone (PSf)– and polyether ether ketone (PEEK)–tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) composite membranes for water electrolysis

The ion exchange membrane using polysulfone (PSf) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as a basic material was prepared to apply in the polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis (PEME). The sulfonated block copolymer of PSf and poly(phenylene sulfide sulfone) (SPSf-co-PPSS) and the sulfonated PEEK (SPEEK) were blended with tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) to avoid water swelling at elevated temperatures led to decrease in mechanical strength. These prepared ion exchange membranes showed some interesting characteristics including physicochemical stabilities, mechanical and membrane properties.The prepared ion exchange membrane was utilized to prepare the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). MEA consisted of Pt/PEM/Pt was prepared by equilibrium and non-equilibrium impregnation–reduction (I–R) methods. The prepared MEA by non-equilibrium I–R method was used in the PEME unit cell. The cell voltages of the MEA using SPSf-co-PPSS/TPA and SPEEK/TPA membranes were 1.83 V and 1.90 V at 1 A/cm² and 80 °C, with platinum loadings of 1.12 and 1.01 mg/cm², respectively.     

Fundamental studies of a new series of anion exchange membranes: membrane preparation and characterization

Chemical cross-linking anion exchange series membranes were prepared from linear engineering plastics poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) by conducting the processes of bromination and amination at both benzyl and aryl positions. Compared with the traditional technologies, the membrane route described in this paper has cancelled the chloromethylation process and thus, given up the use of chloromethyl methyl ether, which has been considered as a potential harmful toxicity material. The ion exchange capacity, water content, membrane potential and transport number of membranes were studied. The results show that the membrane properties are significantly affected by the bromination processes: benzyl-substitution will enhance the ion exchange capacity and water content, while the aryl-substitution will decrease the water content with approximately unchanged ion exchange capacity. By properly balancing them, a series of membranes can be obtained to comply with different industrial requirements, such as diffusional dialysis, electrodialysis, and water splitting processes.     

Permselectivity between two anions in anion exchange membranes crosslinked with various diamines in electrodialysis

A membranous copolymer crosslinked with divinylbenzene reacted with N,N,N′,N′-tetra-methylethylenediamine, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine, and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,6-hexanediamine to prepare highly crosslinked anion exchange membranes. More than 80% of both tertiary amino groups of the diamines reacted with chloromethyl groups of the membrane to form crosslinkage. After formation of the high crosslinkage of the membrane was confirmed with dialysis of a neutral molecule, electrochemical properties of the obtained membranes (mainly, relative transport number between two anions in electrodialysis) were evaluated: nitrate ions to chloride ions, sulfate ions to chloride ions, fluoride ions to chloride ions, and bromide ions to chloride ions. Though larger anions, in general, were difficult to permeate through the membranes due to high crosslinkage, the number of methylene groups of the diamines (which means the increase in hydrophobicity of anion exchange groups) also affected the relative transport number between two anions. The lower the hydration of anions, the higher the relative transport number of the anions through the membranes with the hydrophobic anion exchange groups. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Transport properties of thermally responsive anion exchange membranes containing N‐isopropylacrylamide in electrodialysis

Anion exchange membranes containing N‐isopropylacrylamide as a component were prepared, and their electrochemical properties were examined. The membranes were crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and contained weakly basic or strongly basic anion exchange groups. The dependence of electrochemical properties of the membranes (electrical resistance, transport number of anions, water content, and reduced osmotic flux) on temperature was completely different from those of the anion exchange membrane without N‐isopropylacrylamide. For example, the reduced osmotic flux decreased with increasing temperature until 40°C, and the transport number of chloride ions increased with increasing temperature from 25.0°C, although those of the conventional membrane monotonously increased or decreased. The transport numbers of various anions relative to chloride ions in electrodialysis were evaluated at a different temperature. Although the transport numbers between anions did not change appreciably in the conventional membrane with temperature, those of the anion exchange membranes with N‐isopropylacrylamide changed with a temperature dependent on the hydration degree of anions: permeation of less‐hydrated anions such as nitrate and bromide ions compared with chloride ions increased with increasing temperature, and that of strongly hydrated anions such as sulfate and fluoride ions decreased with increasing temperature. This is based on the increase or decrease in uptake of the anions in the membrane with the change in temperature because hydrophilicity of the membranes changes with temperature due to the apparent aggregation of isopropyl groups in the membranes. And the change in electrochemical properties and transport numbers of various anions relative to chloride ions with temperature was completely reversible with increasing or decreasing temperature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 793–804, 1999     

Crosslinking of sulphonated poly (ether ether ketone) using aromatic bis(hydroxymethyl) compound

2,6-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-4-methyl phenol and 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl) benzene have been used as crosslinkers in sulphonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK DS 65%, IEC 1.84 mequiv./g) for the preparation of proton exchange membranes (PEMs). Crosslinking of SPEEK has been achieved by thermally activated bridging of the polymer chain with the hydroxymethyl group of crosslinker through condensation reaction with sulphonic acid group. The physico-chemical properties of uncrosslinked and crosslinked membrane were evaluated in terms of ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. The crosslinked membrane showed controlled swelling, ionic conductivity of 25–50 mS/cm at 80 °C and good mechanical properties. The chemical stability of the crosslinked membranes was studied by Fenton's test. The % loss in weight and changes in physico-chemical properties of the treated membranes were determined.     

Synthesis of ionic polybenzimidazoles with broad ion exchange capacity range for anion exchange membrane fuel cell application

In this study, new anion exchange membranes (AEM) based on crosslinked polybenzimidazole (m-PBI) with quaternary ammonium groups, crosslinkable allyl groups, and hydrophobic ethyl groups as side chains are synthesized and characterized. The AEMs are crosslinked by thermal thiol-ene reaction using a dithiol crosslinker. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values and crosslinking density were controlled by the number of quaternary ammonium groups and allyl groups, respectively. The introduction of ethyl groups improved the solubility of ionic PBIs even at very low IEC values by eliminating the hydrogen bonding interaction of imidazole rings. This method allows ionic PBIs with broad IEC values, from 0.75 to 2.55 mmol/g, to be prepared. The broad IEC values were achieved by independently controlling the numbers of quaternary ammonium groups, allyl groups, and hydrophobic ethyl groups during preparation. The crosslinked ionic PBIs revealed hydroxide conductivity from 16 to 86 mS/cm at 80°C. The wet membranes also showed excellent mechanical strength with tensile strength of 12.2 to 20.1 MPa and Young's Modulus of 0.67 to 1.45 GPa. The hydroxide conductivity of a crosslinked membrane (0.40Q0.60Et1.00Pr, IEC = 0.95 mmol/g) decreased only 7.9% after the membranes was immersed in a 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution at 80°C for 720 h. A single fuel cell based on this membrane showed a maximum peak power density of 136 mW/cm² with a current density of 377 mA /cm² at 60°C.     

Transport limitations in ion exchange membranes at low salt concentrations

In this work we show that the electrical resistance of ion exchange membranes strongly depends on the solution concentration: especially at low solution concentrations (<0.1 M NaCl) we observe a very strong increase in electrical resistance of the membrane with decreasing concentration. To understand and clarify this behavior we systematically investigate the influence of the solution concentration on ion transport phenomena in two anion exchange membranes (Neosepta AMX and Fumasep FAD) and two cation exchange membranes (Neosepta CMX and Fumasep FKD) in the concentration range from 0.017 M to 0.5 M NaCl and for different hydrodynamic conditions. The results are highly valuable for processes that operate in the low concentration range (<0.5 M) such as reverse electrodialysis, electrodialysis, microbial fuel cells and capacitive deionization, where the standard membrane characterization values as usually determined in 0.5 M NaCl solutions do not represent the practical application.     

Novel method for the preparation of ionically crosslinked sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)/polybenzimidazole composite membranes via in situ polymerization

A series of ionically crosslinked composite membranes were prepared from sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) via in situ polymerization method. The structure of the pristine polymer and the composite membranes were characterized by FT-IR. The performance of the composite membranes was characterized. The study showed that the introduction of PBI led to the reduction of methanol swelling ratio and the increase of mechanical properties due to the acid–base interaction between the sulfonic acid groups and benzimidazole groups. Moreover, the oxidative stability and thermal stability of the composite membranes were improved greatly. With the increase of PBI content, the methanol permeability coefficient of the composite membranes gradually decreased from 1.59 × 10⁻⁶ cm²/s to 1.28 × 10⁻⁸ cm²/s at 30 °C. Despite the fact that the proton conductivity decreased to some extent as a result of the addition of PBI, the composite membrane with PBI content of 5 wt.% still showed a proton conductivity of 0.201 S/cm at 80 °C which could actually meet the requirement of proton exchange fuel cell application. Furthermore, the composite membranes with PBI content of 2.5–7.5 wt.% showed better selectivity than Nafion117 taking into consideration the methanol swelling ratio and proton conductivity comprehensively.     

Performance improvement of polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane by blending with polyaniline nanofibers

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers were used to improve hydrophilic property and permeability of polysulfone (PS) membrane. PS membrane and PS/PANI nanofibers blended membranes with different PANI–PS mass ratios (1, 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) were prepared by phase inversion process. The blended membranes showed similar bovine serum albumin (BSA) and albumin egg (AE) rejections to PS membrane. The blended membranes had larger porosity and better hydrophilic property than PS membrane, which caused the improvement of their permeability. Pure water fluxes of the blended membranes with PANI–PS mass ratios of 1 and 15 wt.% were 1.6 and 2.4 times that of PS membrane, respectively. During the filtration of BSA solution, the blended membranes had slower flux decline rate than PS membrane. Moreover, stable permeate fluxes of the blended membranes with PANI–PS mass ratios of 1 and 15 wt.% were 2.0 and 2.5 times that of PS membrane, respectively. Compared with PS membrane, mechanical property and thermal stability of the blended membranes with less PANI–PS mass ratio, e.g. 1 wt.%, had no obvious change. For the blended membrane with PANI–PS mass ratio of 15 wt.%, breaking strength increased 28% and elongation at break decreased 30.6%.     

Alkaline Stable Anion Exchange Membranes Based on Cross-Linked Poly(arylene ether sulfone) Bearing Dual Quaternary Piperidines for Enhanced Anion Conductivity at Low Water Uptake

Alkaline stable anion exchange membranes based on the cross-linked poly(arylene ether sulfone) grafted with dual quaternary piperidine (XPAES-DP) units were synthesized. The chemical structure of the synthesized PAES-DP was validated using ¹H-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. The physicochemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of XPAES-DP membranes were compared with those of two linear PAES based membranes grafted with single piperidine (PAES-P) unit and conventional trimethyl amine (PAES-TM). XPAES-DP membrane showed the ionic conductivity of 0.021 S cm⁻¹ at 40 °C which was much higher than that of PAES-P and PAES-TM because of the possession of more quaternary ammonium groups in the cross-linked structure. This cross-linked structure of the XPAES-DP membrane resulted in a higher tensile strength of 18.11 MPa than that of PAES-P, 17.09 MPa. In addition, as the XPAES-DP membrane shows consistency in the ionic conductivity even after 96 h in 3 M KOH solution with a minor change, its chemical stability was assured for the application of anion exchange membrane fuel cell. The single-cell assembled with XPAES-DP membrane displayed a power density of 109 mWcm⁻² at 80 °C under 100% relative humidity.     

Preparation of polymer electrolyte membranes based on poly(phenylene oxide) with different side chain lengths of phosphonic acid

A series of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) polymers bearing phosphonic acid groups on the methyl group and on the phenyl ring are synthesized as membrane materials for fuel cell applications. These phosphonic acid‐based PPO membranes exhibited high chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and good proton conductivity even under low humidity condition. Among the membranes, the one in which the phosphonic acid moiety is attached to the polymer main chain with ? CO(CH₂)₅? shows highest proton conductivity under overall conditions even though it has the lowest water uptake and IEC value. A well‐defined separation of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases suggests the phosphonic acid groups to form proton conduction channels via interchain hydrogen bonding. A high storage modulus of the membranes in various temperature ranges indicates that the membranes are suitable for use under a high temperature and low humidity conditions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019     

用于碱性膜燃料电池的新型聚苯醚阴离子交换膜的制备与性能

以2,6-二甲基聚苯醚(PPO)为原料, 经溴代及N-甲基咪唑季铵化反应, 制备了N-甲基咪唑季铵化PPO, 并进行了红外光谱(FTIR)和氢核磁共振波谱(¹H NMR)表征.所得季铵化产物与聚乙烯醇(PVA)按不同比例共混后用戊二醛交联成膜, 在碱性液中浸泡转化为OH^-型, 得到一系列阴离子交换膜.通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM) 、交流阻抗(AC)、拉伸实验和热重分析(TGA)等手段考察了膜的微观形貌及电导率、力学性能、热稳定性及耐碱性等性能.结果表明, 膜的外观形貌平整均一; 含水率为50.4%~151.2%; 溶胀度为79.2%~164.2%; 离子交换容量为0.47~1.52 mmol/g; 90℃时, M4膜的电导率高达49.1 mS/cm; 断裂伸长率达到128%, 极大改善了PPO膜应力易裂的状况.同时, N-甲基咪唑鎓基团分解温度达到170℃, 高于常用的阴离子交换膜中的季铵基团(120℃).在2 mol/L的NaOH溶液中浸泡192 h后, 电导率仅下降19%, 具备良好的耐碱性能力.     

Interaction between anionic polyelectrolytes and anion exchange membranes and change in membrane properties

Electrodialytic transport properties of anion exchange membranes were measured after formation of anionic polyelectrolyte layers on the membrane surfaces: relative transport number of various anions to chloride ions, current efficiency and apparent diffusion coefficients of neutral molecules. The anionic polyelectrolyte layers were formed by immersing the membrane into an aqueous solution of polycondensation product of sodium naphthalene sulfonate and formaldehyde or polystyrene sulfonic acid.

The change in the relative transport number between anions was remarkable in the anion exchange membrane with high ion exchange capacity by forming the layer. Results were: the relative transport number of sulfate ions to chloride ions decreased and those of nitrate ions to chloride ions, fluoride ions to chloride ions and bromide ions to chloride ions increased compared with the corresponding membrane. Although the apparent diffusion coefficient of neutral molecules suggested clogging of the membrane pores by the polyelectrolyte, anions with higher hydrated ionic diameter were able to permeate through the membrane easily. This means that difference of electrostatic repulsion force against two anions is effective on the change in the relative transport number of anions.     

Novel Crosslinked Alkaline Exchange Membranes Based on Poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications

Novel crosslinked anion exchange membranes based on poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) (PPEK) were successfully prepared through chloromethylation, quaternization, membrane casting and OH‐ ionic exchange reaction from the quaternized PPEK (QPPEK) membrane. The quaternization was performed with N‐methylimidazolium (MIm) as ammonium agent and tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) as crosslinking agent. The ion‐exchange capacity, swelling ratio (SR), water uptake (WU), and ionic conductivity of the QPPEK alkaline membranes have been systematically investigated. The results showed that QPPEK membranes have a high hydroxide conductivity and very low SR. For the QPPEK‐4 alkaline membrane with ion‐exchange capacity (IEC) 2.63 mmol/g, the WU was 35.8%, and the hydroxide conductivity was 0.028 S/cm at 30 °C and 0.032 S/cm at 70 °C, while its SR was only 7.6%. The thermal properties of the QPPEK alkaline membrane and CMPPEK were characterized using thermo‐gravimetric analysis measurements in a nitrogen atmosphere. The alkaline resistance of membrane QPPEK ?4 was also briefly investigated in 6 M KOH at 60 °C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1632–1638     

Preparation of Anion Exchange Membrane Based on Imidazolium Functionalized Poly(arylene ether ketone)

The authors presented a novel synthetic route for the imidazolium functionalized poly(arylene ether ketone)s, derived from an engineering plastics polymer, a poly(arylene ether ketone) with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl moiety(PAEK-TM). The preparation of anion exchange membranes comprised converting benzylic methyl groups to bromomethyl groups by a radical reaction, followed by the functionalization of bromomethylated PAEK with alkyl imidazoles, i.e., methyl, butyl or vinyl imidazole. The structure of imidazolium functionalized PAEK was proved by ¹H NMR spectra. A class of flexible and tough membranes was then achieved by subsequent film-forming and anion exchange processes. The water uptake and hydroxide conductivities of membranes are comparable or superior to those of quaternary ammonium(QA) anion exchange membranes. This work demonstrated a new route for non-QA anion exchange membrane design, avoiding the chloromethylation reagent and precisely controlling the degree and location of imidazolium groups.     

Preparation of alkaline anion exchange membranes based on functional poly(ether-imide) polymers for potential fuel cell applications

A novel poly(ether-imide)-based alkaline anion exchange membrane with no free base has been prepared and characterized for its ionic conductivity in water, which is a critical metric of its applicability in a liquid-fed direct methanol fuel cell. The poly(ether-imide)-based membranes were prepared by chloromethylation, quaternization and alkalization of commercial poly(ether-imide) and the derivatives were characterized by NMR. The chemical and thermal stabilities were investigated by measuring changes of ionic conductivities when the membranes were placed in various alkaline concentrations and temperatures for 24 h. The membranes were stable at all concentrations of KOH at room temperature, but not at elevated temperatures. The membranes were stable in 1.0 M KOH solution up to 80 °C without losing membrane integrity. The measured conductivity of the formed membrane ranged from 2.28 to 3.51 × 10⁻³ S/cm at room temperature. This preliminary study indicates that functionalized poly(ether-imide) has suitable conductivity suggesting that it can be used as an alkaline anion exchange membrane in fuel cell applications.     

Sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) membranes as promising materials for new proton exchange membranes

Poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) was sulfonated to different ion exchange capacities (IECs) using chlorosulfonic acid as the sulfonating agent. Tough, ductile films were successfully cast from sulfonated PPO (SPPO) solutions in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone or N,N‐dimethylformamide. The obtained membranes had good thermal stability revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Compared with an unsulfonated PPO membrane, the hydrophilicity and water uptake of the SPPO membranes were enhanced, as shown by reduced contact angles with water. The tensile test indicated that the SPPO membranes with IEC ranging from 0.77 to 2.63 meq/g were tough and strong at ambient conditions and still maintained adequate mechanical strength after immersion in water at room temperature for 24 hr. The results of wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) showed amorphous structures for PPO and SPPO while the peak intensity decreased after sulfonation. The proton conductivity of these SPPO membranes was measured as 1.16 × 10^?2 S/cm at ambient temperature, which is comparable to that of Nafion 112 at similar conditions and in the range needed for high‐performance fuel cell proton exchange membranes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of polydopamine on quaternized poly(ether ether ketone) for antibiofouling anion exchange membrane in microbial fuel cell

Biofouling of anion exchange membranes is a matter of concern in microbial fuel cell. In the present study, we have attempted to improve the antibiofouling potential of anion exchange membrane by using quaternized poly(ether ether ketone) (QPEEK) with surface modification by polydopamine. It is well known that the antiadhesion test tops the list in measuring the antibiofouling potential of the membrane and hence studied. In addition, the effect of dopamine concentration on membrane hydrophilicity and surface roughness was also discussed. From the data, it was clear that power density in all microbial fuel cells showed the highest in the sixth batch and thereafter declined, although at a varying rate. As predicted, QPEEK‐1.0 registered the least. The power density suffered a loss of 918 to 897 mW m⁻² in the case of QPEEK‐1.0, which is the minimum and the same for QPEEK; QPEEK‐0.5 and AMI‐7001 were 918 to 869 mW m⁻², 917 to 885 mW m⁻², and 578 to 537 mW m⁻², respectively. A least value of protein content was obtained for QPEEK‐1.0 (0.21 ± 0.05 g cm⁻²), and the same for QPEEK‐0.5, QPEEK, and AMI 7001 were found to be 0.37 ± 0.05 g cm⁻², 0.78 ± 0.09 g cm⁻², and 1.4 ± 0.11 g cm⁻², respectively. In comparison, the antibiofouling potential of modified membranes was found to be higher than that of unmodified QPEEK and commercially available AMI 7001. The internal resistance values also confirmed that modification with PDA prevents bacteria adhesion leading to high antibiofouling potential.