Proton conductivity in phenolsulfonic acids and their salts

The geometric parameters and energies of crystal hydrates of aromatic sulfonic acids and their salts, as well as the pathways of proton transport in them, were calculated by the DFT (B3LYP) method with the 6-31G** basis set. For aromatic sulfonic acids, the proton relay mechanism was shown to be energetically more favorable than rotation of the HSO group or direct proton transfer. Calculations show that an increase in the number of water molecules located near the HSO₃ group from one to four decreases the barrier from 6 to 0.3 kcal/mol. Hence, a moderate increase in humidity should enhance the conductivity, which is fully consistent with experimental data. Calculations predict that the salts where all protons are substituted by metal atoms are unlikely to show good conductivity. Conversely, mixed salts, for example, H₃C₆(OH)(NaSO₃)(HSO₃) and H₃C₆(OH)(RbSO₃)(HSO₃), are expected to be thermally stable and resistant to deliquescence with an increase in the humidity of a medium and to have good conductivity.     

New proton conducting hybrid membranes for HT-PEMFC systems based on polysiloxanes and SO3H-functionalized mesoporous Si-MCM-41 particles

For increased efficiency of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC), new types of membranes have to be developed. This approach has been realized by preparing hybrid membranes containing SO₃H-functionalized mesoporous Si-MCM-41 as hydrophilic inorganic modifier in a polysiloxane matrix exhibiting sulfonic acid groups and basic heterocyclic groups like benzimidazole. The proton conductivity of sulfonated particles was modelled on the atomic scale in order to understand the influence of the density of sulfonic acid groups and of the presence of water molecules. The different hybrid membranes are characterized concerning their thermal stability, water uptake, and proton conductivity. Whereas the proton conductivity of well-established, but expensive and at >120 °C not long-time stable Nafion membranes continuously decreases with increasing temperature, the polysiloxane membranes, which suffer from a low-proton conductivity at around 100 °C, recover at about 120 °C due to intrinsic proton transport. At 180 °C the pure polysiloxane shows a proton conductivity which is only one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion. Moreover, if the polysiloxane membrane contains additionally 10 wt.% of an SO₃H-modified Si-MCM-41, the proton conductivity of such hybrid membrane at temperatures >180 °C and low relative humidity <10% is higher than that of Nafion membranes by a factor of 10.     

Effect of water on the low temperature conductivity of polymer electrolytes

The proton conductivity of radiation-grafted ethylenetetrafluoroethylene-grafted-poly(styrene sulfonic) acid (ETFE-g-PSSA) and Nafion 117 membranes between 25 and -37 degrees C is reported. The freezing of water in the membranes, which strongly depends on the internal acid concentration, results in a 4-fold decrease in proton conductivity. The activation energies before and after the freezing of the membranes are approximately 0.15 and 0.4 eV, consistent with proton transport through liquid water and strongly bound water, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry data show that up to 14 H(2)O molecules per H(+)/SO(3)(-) group remain unfrozen at subzero temperatures and are believed to be responsible for the low temperature conductivity that is observed. These results indicate that proton conductivity in membranes may be achieved via strongly bound and highly polarized water.     

Lattice Boltzmann simulations for proton transport in 2-D model channels of Nafion

Proton conductance in a 2-D channel with a slab-like structure was studied to verify that the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) can be used as a simulation tool for proton conduction in a Nafion membrane, which is a mesoscopic system with a highly disordered porous structure. Diffusion resulting from a concentration gradient and migration by an electrostatic force were considered as the origins of proton transport. The electrostatic force acting on a proton was computed by solving the Poisson equation. The proton concentration in the membrane is expressed as a continuous function and the sulfonic charge is placed discretely. The space-averaged conductance of protons in a nonequilibrium stationary state was evaluated as a function of the structural parameters: namely, channel width and distribution of the sulfonic groups. The resulting space-averaged conductance deviates from the bulk values, depending particularly on the sulfonic group distribution. Details of the simulation scheme are described and the applicability of the present scheme to real membranes is discussed.     

Modeling the hydration and proton transport in solid electrolytes based on phenolsulfonic acids

Geometrical and energetic characteristics of crystal hydrates of individual aromatic sulfonic acids and their complexes with poly(vinyl alcohol) as well as the paths for the proton transport in them are calculated in the framework of the density functional theory (version B3LYP) employing the 6-31G^** basis set. The energy of attachment of water to ortho-substituted aromatic sulfonic acids is demonstrated to diminish from 74.4 to 54.8 kJ mol^?1 in the following series of substituents: -OH,-F,-CH₃,-H,-Cl, and -COOH. For the dimers that comprise individual phenolsulfonic acids, the energy of attachment of one water molecule to the SO₃H group is estimated to be equal to 92–105 kJ mol^?1. In the dimers comprising individual phenolsulfonic acids, the specific energy of intermolecular bonds (bond energy per monomer molecule) is found to be equal to 49.3 and 58.5 kJ mol^?1 for, respectively, phenol-2,4-disulfo and phenol-2-sulfo acids. During the formation of polymer membranes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) and phenolsulfonic acids, it is energetically favorable that at least one water molecule should remain in the vicinity of the SO₃H fragment. According to the calculations, the proton migration along the SO₃H group in anhydrous environment is hampered by a barrier of 125–132 kJ mol^?1. In the presence of water, the proton conductivity is of a relay character, with an activation barrier equal to 21–33 kJ mol^?1. The latter value is close to experimental data (17–25 kJ mol^?1).     

Fabrication and proton conductivity of sulfonated silica composites prepared by postoxidization of mercaptomethoxysilane

Sol–gel derived organic–inorganic hybrids containing phosphotungstic acid (PWA) have been prepared previously to obtain proton conductive membranes. However, leaking of PWA was a serious problem to achieve the higher proton conductivity. In this study, polyelectrolyte membranes functionalized with sulfonic acid groups were fabricated by the sol–gel method. Proton conductivity measurements were performed on an impedance analyzer at 80°C/95% RH. The functionalized polyelectrolyte membranes exhibited the proton conductivity σ ～ 0.9 (S/cm) which was much higher than the previously reported hybrids containing PWA. Although the hybrids exhibited fairly high proton conductivity irrespective to the catalysts used, that under the low relative humidity strongly depends on the catalysts. Among the hybrids prepared in this study, the membrane synthesized with HCl showed outstanding proton conductive properties even at the low humidity thanks to the proton transport channel formed by the swelling of ionic clusters. This fact was confirmed by measuring the ion exchange capacity, water uptake, swelling rate, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Proton hopping in phosphoric acid solvated nafion membrane: a molecular simulation study

Molecular simulation studies of the microstructure and of the proton transport properties of phosphoric acid solvated Nafion membrane are carried out. The ab initio calculations show that the phosphoric acid is a good solvent to promote the proton ionization of the sulfonic acid group, and only two phosphoric acid molecules are necessary for the dissociation of one sulfonic acid group. A mechanism of proton hopping between phosphoric acid and protonated phosphoric acid cation in the hydrophilic subphase is also elucidated by ab initio calculations. The molecular dynamics simulations, conducted at a phosphoric acid concentration of 25.4% (wt) which is slightly lower than that of phosphoric acid swollen Nafion, show that the phosphoric acid exists in subphases and that it cannot develop into a continuous subphase. Thus, proton-hopping pathways are interrupted, and the conductivity is expected to be lower than that for pure phosphoric acid. The molecular dynamics simulations, conducted at a phosphoric acid concentration of 45.1% (wt) which corresponds to an unstable state, show that the hydrophobic poly(tetrafluoroethylene) backbones trend to gather together forming hydrophobic clusters and that the phosphoric acid forms a continuous subphase with the sulfonic acid groups located at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface. Thus, proton-hopping pathways can develop uninterruptedly like the pure phosphoric acid, and high conductivity is expected. The molecular dynamics study also shows that the hydrogen-bonding characteristics of phosphoric acid and sulfonate anion are similar regardless of the factor that the former can move freely while the latter is attached to Nafion backbone.     

Nanoscale Distribution of Sulfonic Acid Groups Determines Structure and Binding of Water in Nafion Membranes

The connection between the nanoscale structure of two chemically equivalent, yet morphologically distinct Nafion fuel‐cell membranes and their macroscopic chemical properties is demonstrated. Quantification of the chemical interactions between water and Nafion reveals that extruded membranes have smaller water channels with a reduced sulfonic acid head group density compared to dispersion‐cast membranes. As a result, a disproportionally large amount of non‐bulk water molecules exists in extruded membranes, which also exhibit larger proton conductivity and larger water mobility compared to cast membranes. The differences in the physicochemical properties of the membranes, that is, the chemical constitution of the water channels and the local water structure, and the accompanying differences in macroscopic water and proton transport suggest that the chemistry of nanoscale channels is an important, yet largely overlooked parameter that influences the functionality of fuel‐cell membranes.     

Proton conductivity in crosslinked hydrophilic ionic polymer system: Competitive hydration,crosslink heterogeneity,and ineffective domains

High proton conductivity in hydrophobic backbone‐based polymers such as Nafion is known to be due to the formation of organized ionic clusters and channels upon hydration. However, a lower proton conductivity in hydrophilic, ionic polymers and the role played by the microstructure are not well understood. In this work, we demonstrate the importance of heterogeneity in crosslinked ionic polymer networks in explaining proton conductivity. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) crosslinked with sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) is used as the model polymer system for the study. Evolution of the microstructure with hydration and the effect on proton conductivity are analyzed using ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy, dielectric spectroscopy, and small‐angle neutron scattering. We show that the presence of the two hydrophilic groups in PVA‐SSA (hydroxyl and sulfonic acid), as opposed to Nafion, results in competition for water and a lower proton conductivity. The crosslinked polymer–water system contains heterogeneous domains of crosslink nodes which are conductive. These domains (of size 20–35 Å) interconnect with each other and form tortuous percolating domains through which proton conduction takes place. The presence of hydroxyl groups results in some of the domains being ineffective for proton transport, resulting in a lower conductivity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1087–1101     

Proton‐conductive polymer nanocomposite membranes prepared from telechelic fluorinated polymers containing perfluorosulfonic acid side chains

New classes of fluorinated polymer–polysilsesquioxane nanocomposites have been designed and synthesized. The synthesis method includes radical polymerization using the functional benzoyl peroxide initiator for the telechelic fluorinated polymers with perfluorosulfonic acids in the side chains and a subsequent in situ sol–gel condensation of the prepared triethoxylsilane‐terminated fluorinated polymers with oxide precursors. The telechelic polymer and nanocomposites have been carefully characterized by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, FTIR, TGA, and TEM. The ion‐exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, the state of the absorbed water, and transport properties of the composite membranes have been extensively studied as a function of the content and structure of the fillers. Unlike the conventional Nafion/silica composites, the proton conductivity of the prepared membranes increases steadily with the addition of small amounts of the polysilsesquioxane fillers. In particular, the sulfopropylated polysilsesquioxane‐based nanocomposites display proton conductivities greater than Nafion. This is attributed to the presence of pendant sulfonic acids in the fillers, which increases IEC and offers continuous proton transport channels between the fillers and the polymer matrix. The methanol permeability of the prepared membranes has also been examined. Lower methanol permeability and higher electrochemical selectivity than those of Nafion have been demonstrated in the polysilsesquioxane‐based nanocomposites. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

About the choice of the protogenic group in polymer electrolyte membranes: Ab initio modelling of sulfonic acid, phosphonic acid, and imidazole functionalized alkanes

The possible use of sulfonic acid, phosphonic acid, or imidazole as the protogenic group in polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells operating at intermediate temperature (T>100 degrees C) and very low humidity conditions is examined by comparing specific molecular properties obtained with first principles based electronic structure calculations. Potential energy profiles determined at the B3LYP/6-311G** level for rotation of imidazole, phosphonic acid and sulfonic acid functional groups on saturated heptyl chains revealed that the torsional barriers are 3.9, 10.0, and 15.9 kJ mol-1, respectively; indicating that the imidazole is clearly the most labile when tethered to an alkyl chain. Minimum energy conformations (B3LYP/6-311G**) of methyl dimers of each of the acids indicated that the binding of the pairs of the acids is greatest in the phosphonic acids and lowest for the imidazoles. Comparison of the ZPE corrected total energies of the methyl acid dimers with corresponding pairs consisting of the conjugate acid and conjugate base revealed that the energy penalty in transferring the proton (from acid to acid) was greatest for imidazole (120.1 kJ mol-1) and least for the phosphonic acid (37.2 kJ mol-1). This result is in agreement with experimentally measured proton conductivities of acid-functionalized heptyl compounds under dry conditions and further underpins the observation that phosphonic acid possesses the best amphoteric character critical in achieving proton conductivity when no solvent (i.e. water) is present. Finally, BSSE corrected binding energies were computed for the methyl acids with a single water molecule and indicated that while the magnitude of the interaction of the sulfonic and phosphonic acids with water are similar (47.3 and 44.4 kJ mol-1, respectively), the binding is much weaker to the imidazole (28.8 kJ mol-1). This result suggests that the oxo-acids will probably retain water better under very low humidity conditions and that the dynamics of the hydrogen bonding of the first hydration water molecules will be more constrained with -SO3H and -PO3H2 than imidazole.     

Polymer electrolyte membrane based on poly(ether sulfone) containing binaphthyl units with pendant perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids

A novel poly(ether sulfone) containing binaphthyl units with pendant perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids ( BNSH‐PSA ) was developed for a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). The BNSH‐PSA was prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1,1′‐binaphthyl‐4,4′‐diol and 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenylsulfone, followed by the bromination with bromine, and then the Ullman coupling reaction with potassium 1,1,2,2,‐tetrafluoro‐2‐(1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoro‐2‐iodoethoxy) ethanesulfonate ( PSA‐K ). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of BNSH‐PSA was estimated to be 1.91 mequiv/g, which corresponded to full conversion to the perfluroalkyl sulfonic acids. The BNSH‐PSA membrane prepared by solution casting showed high oxidative and dimensional stability. High proton conductivity comparable to the Nafion 117 membrane was accomplished in the range of 30–95% relative humidity (RH) due to the high acidity of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. Furthermore, atomic force microscopic observation supported the formation of the phase‐separated structure that the hydrophilic domains were well dispersed and connected to each other. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

磺化酚酞型聚醚砜膜的制备及其阻醇和质子导电性能

直接甲醇燃料电池 (Directmethanolfuelcell,DMFC)以高效、清洁和燃料储运方便等优点适宜于作为各种用途的可移动动力源 ,成为 2 0世纪 90年代以来研究与开发的热点[1,2 ] .目前 ,这种电池的研究难点主要集中在催化剂不稳定和质子交换膜透醇上 .一张好的DMFC膜不但要可传递质子、绝缘电子 ,还应具有良好的阻醇性能 .如果膜的阻醇性能不好 ,甲醇会穿过膜到达阴极 ,与氧直接反应而不产生电流 ,不但造成燃料的浪费 ,同时也影响阴极的正常反应 ,使电池效率下降[3 ] .目前广泛应用于燃料电池中的Nafion 系列膜是由美国DuPont公司生产的一种…     

侧链含有全氟磺酸的聚芳醚砜质子交换膜材料的制备及性能

利用含溴苯侧基的聚芳醚砜(PES-Br)和1,1,2,2-四氟-2-(1,1,2,2-四氟-2-碘乙氧基)乙烷磺酸钾(PSA-K)进行Ullman偶联反应, 制备了新型含全氟磺酸侧链的聚芳醚砜(PES-PSA), 全氟磺酸的引入量为50%. 在离子交换容量(IEC)为0.907 meq./g, 80 ℃, 相对湿度为100%时, PES-PSA质子传导率达到0.039 S/cm, 表现出较高的质子传导能力. 其较低的IEC值使膜材料表现出良好的热稳定性和尺寸稳定性.     

侧链磺化聚芳醚质子交换膜的研究进展

燃料电池是以氢气、甲醇等作为燃料的一种新型能量转化装置,其中质子交换膜燃料电池（Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, PEMFC）凭借其能量功率高、启动速度快和使用寿命长等优点已经在移动电源、潜艇和电动汽车等领域得到了广泛应用。质子交换膜（Proton Exchange Membrane, PEM）对PEMFC的性能影响最大,高效的PEMFC需要PEM具有高的质子电导率、良好的热稳定性和机械性能、低燃料渗透率以及优异的物理化学稳定性等。目前市面上多数使用的均是具有优异质子电导率的Nafion系列膜,但其存在制备困难、成本昂贵、质子电导率严重依赖湿度等缺点,在一定程度上限制了其发展。为了让PEM有更多的选择,科学家一直专注于使用新材料替代Nafion膜。近年来,科学家们模拟Nafion结构,通过合成各种侧链含磺酸基团的聚芳醚结构,使得亲水基团磺酸基和疏水基团之间形成微相分离结构,从而获得了一系列具有优异综合性能的PEM。本文将重点对侧链烷基磺化型、侧链磺化嵌段型、侧链局部密集磺化型、侧链磺化交联型和侧链磺化复合型这几种常见策略的合成方法及性能进行了综述,最后展望了侧链磺化聚芳醚在PEM领域的优势及发展前景。     

Poly(3,5‐dichloroaniline) Doped with Different Sulfonic Acids

Poly(3,5‐dichloroaniline) was prepared by chemical oxidation in the presence of various sulfonic acids as doping agent, using potassium permanganate as oxidant. 1‐Naphtalene sulfonic acid, 2‐naphatalene sulphonic acid, 1,5‐naphtalene disulfonic acid, and p‐toluenesulfonic acid were the acids of choice. Infrared and UV‐Vis spectroscopy, utilized to characterize the polymers, revealed that the compounds exist in the emeraldine (conductive) oxidation state. The level of doping, conductivity, and morphology were determined as well. The presence of a sulfonic acid produces a morphological change, from granular to microtubule structures, which is responsible for the strong increase in the conductivity of the polymer.     

Surface characterization of argon-plasma-modified perfluorosulfonic acid membranes

The perfluorosulfonic acid membranes which are used in direct methanol fuel cells were modified with argon plasma under various conditions, and the physicochemical and transport properties of the resulting membranes were investigated using various analytical techniques. The plasma treatment was found to change the surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the membranes. The surface roughness of the membranes was increased by the etching effect of plasma. From the FTIR and XPS analyses, the incorporation of new oxygen functionalities, such as the peroxide group, was confirmed. The breakage of both the sulfonic acid groups and ether linkages were also found to cause an increase in the equivalent weight of the modified skin layer of the membrane. The incident water contact angle of the modified membrane in a dry state decreased with an increased plasma treatment, because of the hydrophilic groups that developed on the membrane surface. The time-dependent water contact angle, however, increased in proportion to the extent of the plasma treatment, due to the reduced concentration of sulfonic acid groups. Although the equilibrium water uptake of the modified membrane was almost invariable because of the negligible thickness of the modified skin layer, the transport properties of the membrane such as methanol permeability and proton conductivity were significantly reduced.     

侧链结构对磺化聚芳醚性能及微观形貌的影响

比较了3种主链结构相同而侧链结构不同的磺化聚芳醚(SPAE)材料的性能. 分析了侧链结构对聚合物的吸水、 溶胀及质子传导行为的影响. 结果表明, 在相同的离子交换容量(IEC)条件下, 具有柔顺脂肪族侧链的聚芳醚材料具有较高的质子传导率. 其原因是由于柔顺的脂肪族侧链比刚性的芳香族侧链更易运动, 有利于侧链末端磺酸基团的聚集, 进而形成离子簇. 3种聚合物微观形貌的分析结果表明, 含柔顺侧链结构的聚合物薄膜具有更大的质子传输通道, 其结果与聚合物的宏观吸水和传导现象相吻合.     

基于杂多酸的固体高质子导体*

杂多酸固体高质子导体在燃料电池、传感器和电显色装置等方面具有潜在的应用前景。本文概述了杂多酸的质子导电性,归纳了其质子导电性的一些规律,以表格形式列举了各类杂多酸的电导率。将不同质量分数的杂多酸固载在各类固体基质上,可以对杂多酸质子导电材料改性以便于工业中实际应用。这些杂化材料兼有杂多酸的高质子导电性以及基质的稳定性与机械延展性。本文综述了近几年来新型杂多酸,杂多酸-无机基质复合材料,杂多酸-有机基质复合材料,杂多酸-多元基复合材料的质子电导率、稳定性、结构形态等等方面的研究进展,详细介绍了杂多酸在质子交换膜燃料电池中的应用,并对杂多酸固体高质子导体的应用前景进行了展望。     

Alcohol and proton transport in perfluorinated ionomer membranes for fuel cells

To clarify the transport mechanisms of alcohols and proton in perfluorosulfonated ionomer (PFSI) membranes for fuel cells, four membranes having different equivalent weight (EW) values were examined. Membranes were immersed in methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol to prepare a total of 12 samples, and membrane swelling, mass (alcohol and proton) transports, and interactions between alcohols and proton were investigated systematically in the fully penetrated state. The membrane expansion fraction theta and alcohol content lambda increased with decreasing the EW value for all the samples. The self-diffusion coefficients (D's) of the alkyl group and of OH (including protons) were measured separately by the pulsed-gradient spin-echo (PGSE)-NMR method and the D's also increased with decreasing the EW value. These results implied that the alcohols penetrate into the hydrophilic regions of the PFSI membranes and diffuse through the space expanded by the alcohols. The ionic cluster regions formed by the alcohols resemble those induced by water in the water swollen membrane, where protons dissociated from sulfonic acid groups transport through the regions together with water molecules. The D values decreased with increasing the molecular weight of alcohols. This trend was supported by activation energies Ea estimated from the Arrhenius plots of D in the temperature range from 30 to -40 degrees C. The PGSE-NMR measurements also revealed that protons move faster than the alkyl groups in the membranes. The proton transport by the Grotthuss (hopping) mechanism was facilitated by the increase of the alcohol content and the decrease of the molecular weight. This result was also supported by the experimental results of proton conductivity kappa and mobility u(H(+)). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the interaction energy DeltaE(int) between proton and alcohol (including OH) showed that the /DeltaE(int)/ increases with increasing the molecular weight of alcohols, which is in a inverse relationship with the kappa and u(H(+)) values. The proton transport depends strongly on the DeltaE(int) in the membranes.