Fluorenyl-containing sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPFEEKK) for fuel cell applications

A series of fluorenyl-containing sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPFEEKK) were synthesized via aromatic nucleophilic substitution polymerization. The sulfonation content (SC) was controlled by the feed ratios of sulfonated and nonsulfonated monomers. Flexible and strong membranes in the sulfonic acid form were obtained from cast membranes in the sodium salt forms by treatment with acid. The thermal properties, water uptake, swelling ratio, water state, oxidative stability, proton conductivity and methanol permeability were investigated. All the polymers had proton conductivities greater than 1 × 10⁻² S/cm at room temperature, and the conductivity values of m-SPFEEKK-80 and p-SPFEEKK-80 were up to 1.86 × 10⁻¹ and 1.78 × 10⁻¹ S/cm at 100 °C. This series of polymers also possessed good dimensional stability in water and low methanol crossover.     

Synthesis of the block sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (S-PEEKs) materials for proton exchange membrane

To improve the proton conductivity of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (SPEEK) with low sulfonated degrees, a series of block SPEEK copolymers were prepared by a two-stage one pot process: first the hydrophobic block was prepared with the desired length, then the monomers for the hydrophilic block were added to the first reactive flask to form block copolymers. Membranes were cast from their DMF solutions, and characterized by determining the ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, proton conductivity and mechanical properties. Block-3 with the longer hydrophobic chain shows enhanced performance than the random one in usage for PEM. SAXS was employed to investigate the microstructure effects on the above properties. Larger ionic cluster size and larger proton transport channel in block-3 SPEEK membranes are detected from the result of SAXS. It is believed that this microstructure feature attributes to the enhanced proton conductivity values of block-3 membrane at low IEC.     

Sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether ketone) membrane prepared via direct polymerization for PEM fuel cell application

Sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether ketone)s with inherent viscosity ranging from 0.68 to 0.93 dL/g were directly synthesized by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation of bisphenol fluorene with various ratios of sulfonated difluorobenzophenone to difluorobenzophenone. The synthesized polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR method and elemental analysis. The polymers were tested to be soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as DMAc, DMF and DMSO and can be readily cast into tough films. These films showed highly thermal degradation temperature, glass transition temperature and excellent water affinity as well as excellent proton conductivity. The polymers showed a promising proton membrane material for PEM fuel cell application.     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ether ether ketone)-block-sulfonated polybutadiene copolymers for PEM applications

A novel series of sulfonated block copolymers were successfully synthesized by the condensation of modified poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and polybutadiene (PB), followed by the selective post-sulfonation of PB blocks using acetyl sulfate as the sulfonating reagent. The sulfonic acid groups were only attached onto PB segments due to the high reactivity of double bonds to sulfonating reagent. The degree of sulfonation was controlled by changing the feed ratio of sulfonating reagent to block copolymer. PEEK-b-sPB could be easily cast into flexible and transparent membranes. The obtained membranes exhibited good thermal stability and satisfied mechanical properties. Tensile test showed the incorporation of sulfonate groups into PB blocks resulted in an increase in tensile strength and a decrease in elongation at break. TEM images revealed the existence of ionic spherical domains with the average sizes of 50-100 nm. Some of these small domains further aggregated to form large hydrophilic regions. The proton conductivity values were measured in the range of 10⁻² S/cm in water and increased with increasing IEC and temperature.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(aryl ether ketone) ionomers with sulfonic acid groups on pendant aliphatic chains for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

A series of parent poly(aryl ether ketone)s bearing different content of unsaturated pendant propenyl groups were synthesized via nucleophilic substitution polymerization from 3,3′-diallyl-4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl, 9,9′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone. The polymers with pendant aliphatic sulfonic acid groups were further synthesized by free radical thiol-ene coupling reactions between 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic sodium and the parent propenyl functional copolymers. The resulting sulfonated polymers with high inherent viscosity (1.83-4.69 dL/g) were soluble in polar organic solvents and can form flexible and transparent membranes by casting from their solutions. The copolymers with different ion exchange capacity could be conveniently synthesized by varying the monomers ratios. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine the microstructures of the membrane and the results revealed that significant hydrophilic/hydrophobic microphase separation with spherical, uniform-sized (5-10 nm) and well-dispersed hydrophilic domains was afforded. The proton conductivities of the as-prepared membranes and the state-of-the-art Nafion 117 membrane in fully hydrated state were investigated. The results revealed that the proton conductivity of the synthesized membranes increased more remarkably than that of Nafion 117 membrane with increasing temperature. The membrane with 1.69 mequiv/g of IEC had a conductivity of 2.5 × 10⁻² Scm⁻¹ at 100 °C. The membranes also possessed excellent mechanical properties, good thermal, oxidative, hydrolytic and dimensional stabilities.     

Polyaniline decorated graphene oxide on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membrane for direct methanol fuel cells application

In direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), methanol crossover is a major issue which has reduced the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) for energy generation. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) and conductive polyaniline decorated GO (PANI-GO) were used as additives in fabrication of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) nanocomposite PEM membrane to reduce methanol crossover. PANI-GO was synthesized by in situ polymerization method and the formation of PANI coated GO nanostructures was confirmed by surface morphology and crystallinity analysis. The membrane morphology and topography analysis confirmed that GO and PANI-GO were well dispersed on the surface of SPEEK membrane. 0.1 wt% PANI-GO modified SPEEK nanocomposite membrane exhibited the highest water uptake and ion exchange capacity of 40% and 1.74 meq g^?1, respectively. The oxidative stability of the nanocomposite membranes also improved. Lower methanol permeability of 4.33 × 10^?7 cm^?2S^?1 was noticed for 0.1 wt% PANI-GO modified SPEEK membrane. PANI-GO modified SPEEK membrane enhanced the proton conductivity, which was due to the existence of acidic and hydrophilic group present in PANI and GO. PANI-GO modified SPEEK membrane held higher selectivity of 1.94 × 10⁴ S cm^?3 s^?1. Overall, these studies revealed that PANI-GO modified SPEEK membrane is a potential material for DMFC applications.     

Morphological investigations of block sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) copolymers as potential proton exchange membranes

A series of block sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SPAEK) copolymers with different block lengths and ionic contents were synthesized by a two‐stage process. The morphology of these block SPAEK copolymers was investigated by various methods, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). Dark colored ionic domains of hundreds of nanometers spreading as a cloud‐like belt were observed in TEM images. The sizes of the ionic domains as a function of block copolymer composition were determined from SAXS curves. The results for the evolution of ionic domains revealed that the block copolymers exhibited more clearly phase‐separated microstructure with increasing ionic contents and hydrophobic sequence lengths. Proton conductivity is closely related to the microstructure, especially the presence of large interconnected ionic domains or ionic channels. Block SPAEK membranes have interconnected ionic clusters to provide continuous hydrophilic channels, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced response of microbial fuel cell using sulfonated poly ether ether ketone membrane as a biochemical oxygen demand sensor

The present study is focused on the development of single chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) using sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) membrane to determine the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) matter present in artificial wastewater (AW). The biosensor produces a good linear relationship with the BOD concentration up to 650 ppm when using artificial wastewater. This sensing range was 62.5% higher than that of Nafion^®. The most serious problem in using MFC as a BOD sensor is the oxygen diffusion into the anode compartment, which consumes electrons in the anode compartment, thereby reducing the coulomb yield and reducing the electrical signal from the MFC. SPEEK exhibited one order lesser oxygen permeability than Nafion^®, resulting in low internal resistance and substrate loss, thus improving the sensing range of BOD. The system was further improved by making a double membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an increased electrode surface area which provide high surface area for electrically active bacteria.     

一种新型的用于质子交换膜燃料电池的磺化聚醚醚酮酮

以发烟硫酸和4,4-二(4-氟苯甲酰基)苯[1,4-bi(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene]为原料,通过磺化反应,制得磺化二氟三苯二酮[1,4-bi(3-sodiumsulfonate-4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene].利用亲核缩聚反应,调整磺化单体和非磺化单体的比例,与酚酞进行聚合,制取了具有不同磺化度的聚醚醚酮酮,并对聚合物的结构进行了表征.结果表明,此系列磺化聚醚醚酮酮的膜制品具有良好的离子交换特性,可望应用于燃料电池膜.     

Morphology control of sulfonated poly(ether ketone ketone) poly(ether imide) blends and their use in proton-exchange membranes

Polymer blends based on sulfonated poly(ether ketone ketone) (SPEKK) as the proton-conducting component and poly(ether imide) (PEI) as the second component were considered for proton-exchange membranes (PEMs). The PEI was added to improve the mechanical stability and lower the water swelling in the fuel cell environment. Membranes were cast from solution using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The ternary, polymer/polymer/solvent, phase diagram was determined to provide guidance on how to control the morphology during solvent casting of blend membranes.

For blends of SPEKK (ion-exchange capacity = 2 mequiv/g) with PEI as the minority component, the morphology consisted of dispersed particles of 0.5–6 μm. Larger particles were achieved by increasing the PEI content and/or lowering the casting temperature. High-temperature annealing after solution casting did not affect the morphology of blend membranes, due to the low mobility and compatibility of the two polymers.

The possible use of SPEKK/PEI blends in PEMs is discussed in terms of existing theories of ion transport in polymers.     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/polyaniline composite proton-exchange membrane

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) was prepared by sulfonation of commercial Victrex^@ PEEK and degree of sulfonation was found to be about 44.5% by ¹H NMR. Sulfonated PEEK/polyaniline composite membranes, in order to prevent methanol crossover, were prepared by chemical polymerization of a thin layer of polyaniline (PANI) in the presence of a high oxidant concentration on a single face modification. FTIR and PANI coating density studies confirmed the loading of PANI in sulfonated PEEK membrane matrix. PANI composite membranes with different polymerization time were prepared and subjected to thermogravimetric analysis as well as electrochemical and methanol permeability study to compare with sulfonated PEEK and Nafion 117 membrane. Ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, proton transport numbers and proton conductivities for different PANI composite sulfonated PEEK (SPEEK) membranes were found to be dependent on the coating density of the PANI in the membrane matrix and were slightly lower than that of Nafion 117 membrane. Methanol permeability of these membranes (especially SPEEK/PANI-1.5) was about four times lower than Nafion 117 membrane. Among the all SPEEK membranes synthesized in this study, SPEEK-1.5 appears to be more suitable for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) application considering optimum physicochemical and electrochemical properties, thermal stability as well as very low methanol permeability. Above all, the cost-effective and simple fabrication technique involved in the synthesis of such composite membranes makes their applicability quite attractive.     

Kinetic study of the sulfonation of hydrogenated styrene butadiene block copolymer (HSBS): Microstructural and electrical characterizations

In this work homogeneous sulfonation kinetic and both, microstructural and electrical characterizations of hydrogenated styrene butadiene block copolymer (HSBS) were studied. The incorporation of sulfonic groups was checked by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and the sulfonation level was determined by both, elemental analysis (E.A.) and chemical titration. Thermal behavior was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), in order to determine thermal transitions and stability, respectively. Microstructure was studied, by means of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was studied for several samples and evidenced a morphology change when the sulfonation level increases. Finally, electrical behavior was recorded by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the four-probe technique (FPT). Results show that sulfonation of the benzene rings, in the styrene units, has effectively occurred and that the sulfonation level increases with reaction time. When incrementing the sulfonation level, a structural change in the copolymer was observed. Interconnected clusters allow proton conduction through the membrane. The ion conductivity obtained was about 10⁻² S/cm.     

Studies on cellulose acetate and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) blend ultrafiltration membranes

New ultrafiltration membranes based on chemically and thermally stable arylene main-chain polymers have been prepared by blending the sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) with cellulose acetate in various compositions in N,N^′-dimethylformamide as solvent by phase inversion technique. Prepared membranes have been subjected to ultrafiltration characterizations such as compaction, pure water flux, water content, and membrane hydraulic resistance. The pore statistics and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of the membranes have been estimated using proteins such as trypsin, pepsin, egg albumin and bovine serum albumin. The pore size increased with increasing concentrations of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) in the casting solution. Similarly, the MWCOs of the membranes ranged from 20 to 69 kDa, depending on the various polymer compositions. Surface and cross-sectional morphologies of membranes were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The effects of polymer compositions on the above parameters were analyzed and the results are compared and discussed with those of pure cellulose acetate membranes.     

Ionic conducting membranes based on new sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s for fuel cell applications

The synthesis and characterization of new di‐ and tetra‐sulfonated ether diketone monomers are described. From these monomers, a wide series of sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (SPAEK) are synthesized by varying the sulfonic acid repartition along the polymer backbones. Their chemical structures are thoroughly characterized by NMR. From these polymers tough membranes are obtained from solution casting method and their water uptake, ionic conductivity, and water/gas permeation properties are determined and compared with those of Nafion membrane. Preliminary fuel cell tests show that SPAEK membranes are promising candidates for fuel cell application. This work brings new insights concerning the beneficial effects of introducing densely sulfonated monomers in a polyarylether macromolecular structure along with fluorinated groups improving conductivity while reducing unwanted excessive swelling. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 771–777     

Synthesis and characterization of sulfonated poly(benzoxazole ether ketone)s by direct copolymerization as novel polymers for proton-exchange membranes

A new series of sulfonated poly(benzoxazole ether ketone)s (SPAEKBO-X) were prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation of 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-diphenol with 2,2′-bis[2-(4-fluorophenyl)benzoxazol-6-yl]hexafluoropropane and sodium 5,5′-carbonylbis-2-fluorobenzenesulfonate in various ratios. Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR were used to characterize the structures and sulfonic acid contents of the copolymers. The copolymers were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and N,N-dimethylformamide and could form tough and flexible membranes. The protonated membranes were thermally stable up to 320 °C in air. The water uptake, hydrolytic and oxidative stability, and mechanical properties were evaluated. At 30–90 °C and 95% relative humidity, the proton conductivities of the membranes increased with the sulfonic acid content and temperature and almost reached that of Nafion 112. At 90–130 °C, without external humidification, the conductivities increased with the temperature and benzoxazole content and reached above 10⁻² S/cm. The SPAEKBO-X membranes, especially those with high benzoxazole compositions, possessed a large amount of strongly bound water (>50%). The experimental results indicate that SPAEKBO-X copolymers are promising for proton-exchange membranes in fuel cells, and their properties might be tailored by the adjustment of the copolymer composition for low temperatures and high humidity or for high temperatures and low humidity; they are especially promising for high-temperature applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2273–2286, 2007     

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)/sulfonated polybenzimidazole blend membrane for fuel cell applications

Polymer blending is used to modify or improve the dimensional and thermal stability of any two different polymers or copolymers. In this study, both sulfonated polybenzimidazole homopolymer (MS-p-PBI 100) and sulfonated poly(aryl ether benzimidazole) copolymers (MS-p-PBI 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) were successfully synthesized from commercially available monomers. The chemical structure and thermal stability of these polymers was characterized by ¹H NMR, FT-IR and TGA techniques. Blend membranes (BMs) were prepared from the salt forms of sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (PES 70) and MS-p-PBI 100 using dimethylacetamide (DMAc). These blend membranes exhibited good stability in boiling water. The blending of 1 wt.% of MS-p-PBI 100 and 99 wt.% of PES 70 to produce the blend membrane BM 1 reduced membrane swelling, thus leading to good dimensional stability and comparable proton conductivity. Hence, BM 1 was chosen for the fabrication of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. This paper reports on PEMFC and DMFC performance under specific conditions.     

Investigation of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone sulfone)/heteropolyacid composite membranes for high temperature fuel cell applications

The sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone sulfone) (SPEEKS)/heteropolyacid (HPA) composite membranes with different HPA content in SPEEKS copolymers matrix with different degree of sulfonation (DS) were investigated for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Composite membranes were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR band shifts suggested that the sulfonic acid groups on the copolymer backbone strongly interact with HPA particles. SEM pictures showed that the HPA particles were uniformly distributed throughout the SPEEKS membranes matrix and particle sizes decreased with the increment of copolymers' DS. The holes were not found in SPEEKS‐4/HPA30 (consisting of 70% SPEEKS copolymers with DS = 0.8 and 30% HPA) composite membrane after composite membranes were treated with boiling water for 24 h. Thermal stabilities of the composite membranes were better than those of pure sulfonated copolymers membranes. Although the composite membranes possessed lower water uptake, it exhibited higher proton conductivity for SPEEKS‐4/HPA30 especially at high temperature (above 100 °C). Its proton conductivity linearly increased from 0.068 S/cm at 25 °C to 0.095 S/cm at 120 °C, which was higher than 0.06 S/cm of Nafion 117. In contrast, proton conductivity of pure SPEEKS‐4 membrane only increased from 0.062 S/cm at 25 °C to 0.078 S/cm at 80 °C. At 120 °C, proton conductivity decreased to poor 0.073 S/cm. The result indicated that composite membranes exhibited high proton conductivity at high temperature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1967–1978, 2006     

Polymer blend membranes of sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) for direct methanol fuel cell

The blend membranes of sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (sPAEK) (IEC = 1.0 mequiv./g)/Nafion^® and the blend membranes of sPAEK (IEC = 1.0 mequiv./g)/sPAEK (IEC = 1.7 mequiv./g) were prepared. sPAEK with low IEC was introduced to reduce the methanol permeability through the membrane. Morphology, water uptake, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the blend membranes were investigated by SEM, AFM, AC impedance spectroscopy and permeability measuring instrument. The cross-sections of blend membranes showed phase-separated morphologies. The effect of phase-separated morphology on the properties of blend membranes was investigated. The properties like water uptake, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability of sPAEK/Nafion^® blend membranes showed similar values with sPAEK and properties of sPAEK/sPAEK blend membranes showed intermediate values of two polymers due to the difference in morphology of the blend membranes. sPAEK/sPAEK blend membranes showed relatively high proton conductivity and lowered methanol permeability compared to Nafion^®. sPAEK/sPAEK blend membranes could be a competent substitution for Nafion^®.     

Chemical stability enhancement of crown ether grafted sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) fuel cell membrane by cerium ion fixation

In operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell or direct methanol fuel cell, ·OH radicals are the major cause for the degradation of polymer electrolyte membrane. In order to enhance its antioxidation stability, cerium ion (Ce³⁺, CE), an ·OH radical quencher, is introduced to membrane, as it converts the ·OH radicals into inactive chemicals. In this study, aminoethyl‐15‐crown‐5 (CRE) is grafted on the sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SPAEK) to prevent the migration of CE ions from the membrane for long‐term antioxidation stability, as CRE forms a coordination complex with CE. The chemical and physical structures of the CRE grafted SPAEK are examined using proton nuclear magnetic resonance, energy dispersive X‐ray, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering spectroscopy. The physical properties of the CRE grafted SPAEK membrane are investigated and compared with those of the CRE blended and CE blended ones. While the grafting of CRE does not significantly affect the thermal and mechanical and water uptake behaviors of membranes, it leads to a significant improvement of antidegradation effect compared with other blend systems according to Fenton's test. The proton conductivity decreases with addition of CE but its effect is lessened by introduction of CRE. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 101–109     

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks toward sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membranes for high concentration direct methanol fuel cell

Semi-IPNs were constructed by forming the crosslinking networks via the reaction between BPPO and diamine cross-linkers to overcome the dimensional swelling and methanol-permeation issues of SPEEK.