Development of new glass composite membranes and their properties for low temperature H2/O2 fuel cells.

A new glass electrolyte formed by constant amounts of titanium oxide (TiO2) and various amount of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) doped P2O5-SiO2 is prepared using the sol-gel process. The structural formation is confirmed by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and from thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) measurements, the glasses display good thermal stability. Further characterisation is undertaken by N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, proton conductivity and hydrogen permeability analyses and a H2/O2 fuel cell test is also performed. The glass materials with large pores and specific surface area are suitable for use as the electrolyte in H2/O2 fuel cells. The effect of TiO2 processing with constant amount of PWA in phosphosilicate glasses, is investigated and discussed. The hydrogen permeability is 1.57x10(-11) mol cm(-1) s(-1) Pa(-1) at 110 degrees C for 0.8 mm thick glass; a power density of 46.3 mW cm(-2) at 125 mA cm(-2) and a current density of 175 mA cm(-2) is obtained (T=28 degrees C, relative humidity).     

Mechanisms of proton transfer in Nafion: elementary reactions at the sulfonic acid groups

Proton transfer reactions at the sulfonic acid groups in Nafion were theoretically studied, using complexes formed from triflic acid (CF3SO3H), H3O+ and H2O, as model systems. The investigations began with searching for potential precursors and transition states at low hydration levels, using the test-particle model (T-model), density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio calculations. They were employed as starting configurations in Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations at 298 K, from which elementary reactions were analyzed and categorized. For the H3O+-H2O complexes, BOMD simulations suggested that a quasi-dynamic equilibrium could be established between the Eigen and Zundel complexes, and that was considered to be one of the most important elementary reactions in the proton transfer process. The average lifetime of H3O+ obtained from BOMD simulations is close to the lowest limit, estimated from low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that proton transfer reactions at -SO3H are not concerted, due to the thermal energy fluctuation and the existence of various quasi-dynamic equilibria, and -SO3H could directly and indirectly mediate proton transfer reactions through the formation of proton defects, as well as the -SO3- and -SO3H2+ transition states.     

Proton transfer reactions and dynamics of sulfonic acid group in Nafion®

Proton transfer reactions and dynamics of the hydrophilic group (-SO(3)H) in Nafion? were studied at low hydration levels using the complexes formed from CF(3)SO(3)H, H(3)O(+) and nH(2)O, 1 ≤n≤ 3, as model systems. The equilibrium structures obtained from DFT calculations suggested at least two structural diffusion pathways at the -SO(3)H group namely, the "pass-through" and "pass-by" mechanisms. The former involves the protonation and deprotonation at the -SO(3)H group, whereas the latter the proton transfer in the adjacent Zundel complex. Analyses of the asymmetric O-H stretching frequencies (ν(OH)) of the hydrogen bond (H-bond) protons showed the threshold frequencies (ν(OH*)) of proton transfer in the range of 1700 to 2200 cm(-1). Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD) simulations at 350 K anticipated slightly lower threshold frequencies (ν(A)(OH*,MD)), with two characteristic asymmetric O-H stretching frequencies being the spectral signatures of proton transfer in the H-bond complexes. The lower frequency (ν(A)(OH,MD))) is associated with the oscillatory shuttling motion and the higher frequency (ν(B)(OH,MD))) the structural diffusion motion. Comparison of the present results with BOMD simulations on protonated water clusters indicated that the -SO(3)H group facilitates proton transfer by reducing the vibrational energy for the interconversion between the two dynamic states (Δν), resulting in a higher population of the H-bonds with the structural diffusion motion. One could therefore conclude that the -SO(3)H groups in Nafion? act as active binding sites which provide appropriate structural, energetic and dynamic conditions for effective structural diffusion processes in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The present results suggested for the first time a possibility to discuss the tendency of proton transfer in H-bond using Δν(BA)(OH,MD)) and provided theoretical bases and guidelines for the investigations of proton transfer reactions in theory and experiment.     

Self assembled 12-tungstophosphoric acid-silica mesoporous nanocomposites as proton exchange membranes for direct alcohol fuel cells

A highly ordered inorganic electrolyte based on 12-tungstophosphoric acid (H(3)PW(12)O(40), abbreviated as HPW or PWA)-silica mesoporous nanocomposite was synthesized through a facile one-step self-assembly between the positively charged silica precursor and negatively charged PW(12)O(40)(3-) species. The self-assembled HPW-silica nanocomposites were characterized by small-angle XRD, TEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity and solid-state (31)P NMR. The results show that highly ordered and uniform nanoarrays with long-range order are formed when the HPW content in the nanocomposites is equal to or lower than 25 wt%. The mesoporous structures/textures were clearly presented, with nanochannels of 3.2-3.5 nm in diameter. The (31)P NMR results indicates that there are (≡SiOH(2)(+))(H(2)PW(12)O(40)(-)) species in the HPW-silica nanocomposites. A HPW-silica (25/75 w/o) nanocomposite gave an activation energy of 13.0 kJ mol(-1) and proton conductivity of 0.076 S cm(-1) at 100 °C and 100 RH%, and an activation energy of 26.1 kJ mol(-1) and proton conductivity of 0.05 S cm(-1) at 200 °C with no external humidification. A fuel cell based on a 165 μm thick HPW-silica nanocomposite membrane achieved a maximum power output of 128.5 and 112.0 mW cm(-2) for methanol and ethanol fuels, respectively, at 200 °C. The high proton conductivity and good performance demonstrate the excellent water retention capability and great potential of the highly ordered HPW-silica mesoporous nanocomposites as high-temperature proton exchange membranes for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs).     

SPES/PWA/SiO_2复合质子交换膜的性能

以磺化聚醚砜(SPES)为基体,以不同比例的SiO2溶胶与磷钨酸(PWA)为掺杂物,制备了一种有望用于直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFC)的新型SPES/PWA/SiO2有机-无机复合膜,并经热失重分析(TGA)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、扫描电镜(SEM)-X射线能谱分析(EDX)等对膜的结构和性能进行了表征,探讨了复合膜用作质子交换膜的可能性.结果表明:复合膜较纯SPES膜具有更高的热稳定性、玻璃化转变温度和吸水率;虽然在室温和电池操作温度(80℃)下,复合膜的拉伸强度均低于纯SPES膜,但即使当SiO2含量高达20%(w)时,复合膜的拉伸强度仍高于Nafion112膜的;SEM图片显示SiO2和PWA在膜中分布均匀,这将有利于连续质子传输通道的形成.对于SiO2含量为15%(w),PWA含量为6%(w)的复合膜,其室温质子传导率达到了0.034S·cm-1,与Nafion112膜的相当,但其甲醇渗透率明显降低,仅为商用Nafion112膜的七分之一左右,这表明该复合膜在直接甲醇燃料电池中具有良好的应用前景.     

基于磷钨酸功能化纳米纤维的超高质子/钒选择性的聚苯并咪唑膜在全钒液流电池中的应用

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) is a key component of vanadium redox flow battery (VRB), and its proton/vanadium selectivity plays an important role in the performance of a VRB single cell. Commercially available perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion) membranes have been widely used due to their excellent proton conductivity and favorable chemical resistance. However, the large pore size micelle channels formed by the pendant sulfonic acid groups lead to the excessive penetration of vanadium ions, which seriously affects the coulombic efficiency (CE) of the single cell and accelerates the self-discharge rate of the battery. Additionally, the expensive cost of Nafion is also an important reason to limit its large-scale application. In this paper, the dense and low-cost hydrocarbon polymer polybenzimidazole (PBI) is used as the matrix material of the PEM, which is doped with phosphotungstic acid (PWA) to acquire excellent proton conductivity, and the intrinsic high resistance of PBI for vanadium ions is helpful to obtain high proton/vanadium selectivity. Considering the enormous water solubility of PWA and its easy leaching from membrane, organic polymer nano-Kevlar fibers (NKFs) are utilized as the anchoring agent of PWA, which achieves good anchoring effect and solves the problem of the poor compatibility between inorganic anchoring agent and the polymer matrix. The formation of PWA functionalized NKFs was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The anchoring stability of NKFs for PWA was evaluated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The characterizations including water uptake, swelling ratio, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity, vanadium ion permeability and ion selectivity were performed to evaluate the basic properties of the membranes. At the same time, the charge-discharge, self-discharge and cycle performance of single cell assembled with the composite membrane and recast Nafion were tested at various current densities from 40 to 100 mA∙cm^-2. Simple tuning for the filling amount of NKFs@PWA gives the composite membrane superior ion selectivity including an optimal value of 3.26 × 10⁵ S∙min∙cm^-3, which is 8.5 times higher than that of recast Nafion (0.34 × 10⁵ S∙min∙cm^-3). As a result, the VRB single cell assembled with the composite membrane exhibits higher CE and significantly lower self-discharge rate compared with recast Nafion. Typically, the CE of the VRB based on PBI-(NKFs@PWA)-22.5% membrane is 97.31% at 100 mA∙cm^-2 while the value of recast Nafion is only 90.28%. The open circuit voltage (V_OC) holding time above 0.8 V of the single cell assembled with the composite membrane is 95 h, which is about 2.4 times as long as that of recast Nafion-based VRB. The utilization of PBI as a separator for VRB can effectively suppress the penetration of vanadium ions, achieve higher proton/vanadium selectivity and superior battery performance as well as reduce the cost of the PEM, which will play an active role in the promotion of VRB applications.     

Anhydrous solid proton conductors based on perfluorosulfonic ionomer with polymeric solvent for polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Novel anhydrous polymeric proton conductors have been prepared from perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer with polymer solvent as supplying proton pathway through the segmental motion of polymer chains for polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) application. Since the membranes do not contain liquid-state acid or solvent, the membranes may promise more stable performances during the operation of PEFC. The Nafion-based anhydrous proton conductors showed maximum proton conductivity of about 4.0 × 10^?3 S cm^?1 at 130 °C under anhydrous condition. The mechanical properties of the membranes were enhanced by introducing H⁺-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles without the conductivity degradation. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) employing the anhydrous membrane as ionomer have been investigated, showing stable open circuit voltages (OCVs) over 0.9 V under non-humidified condition.     

Alternative proton-conducting electrolytes and their electrochemical performances

This study was focused on the performances of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) consisting of the proton–conducting 90PVA/3PWA/4GPTMS/1P₂O₅/2Gl and 80PVA/10PWA/6GPTMS/2P₂O₅/2Gl hybrid membranes as electrolytes together with a Pt/C electrode for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The MEAs were fabricated and tested as a function of temperature and humidity, and yielded a current density value of about 350?mA?cm^?2 at 60?°C and 100% relative humidity (RH) for the membrane electrolyte 80PVA/10PWA/6GPTMS/2P₂O₅/2Gl. These values were compared with Nafion? membranes, and the single-cell performances based on proton-conducting organic/inorganic hybrid electrolytes were discussed. The test conditions employed were equivalent for each MEA that had an active area of 5?cm². These hybrid membranes showed a high proton conductivity in the range of 10^?3–10^?2 S cm^?1 at low temperatures, i.e., 60, 80, and 90?°C, and 50%, 75%, and 100% RH.     

Phosphoric acid‐doped imidazolium ionomers with enhanced stability for anhydrous proton‐exchange membrane applications

Phosphoric acid‐doped crosslinked proton‐conducting membranes with high anhydrous proton conductivity, and good chemical stability in phosphoric acid were synthesized and characterized. The synthetic procedure of the acid‐doped composite membranes mainly involves the in situ crosslinking of polymerizable monomer oils (styrene and acrylonitrile) and vinylimidazole, and followed by the sulfonation of pendant imidazole groups with butanesultone, and further doped with phosphoric acid. The resultant phosphoric acid‐doped composite electrolyte membranes are flexible and show high thermal stability and high‐proton conductivity up to the order of 10^?2 S cm^?1 at 160 °C under anhydrous conditions. The phosphoric acid uptake, swelling degree, and proton conductivity of the composite membranes increase with the vinylimidazole content. The resultant composite membranes also show good oxidative stability in Fenton's reagent (at 70 °C), and quite good chemical stability in phosphoric acid (at 160 °C). The properties of the prepared electrolyte membranes indicate their promising prospects in anhydrous proton‐exchange membrane applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013 , 51, 1311–1317     

Synthesis and electronic properties of poly(aniline-co-2-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid)

Poly(aniline- co-2-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid) (PAAHB) was first synthesized via the electrochemical copolymerization of aniline and 2-amino-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid (AHB) in the presence of an ionic liquid. The conductivity of PAAHB in the oxidized state is 0.45 S cm(-1). The conductivity and ESR spectra of PAAHB are slightly affected by water. The cyclic voltammograms of PAAHB reveal excellent redox activity from pH<1 to pH 11.0. This is attributed to the synergistic effect of the -SO3- and -OH functional groups in the copolymer chain and the ionic liquid incorporated into the PAAHB film. It is evident that the pH dependence of the redox activity and conductivity of PAAHB is much better than that of polyaniline. The proton NMR spectra of PAAHB and AHB demonstrate that the -SO3- group exists in the copolymer chain instead of the -SO3H group. Therefore, PAAHB can be used for the determination of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid as a result of the -SO3- group, which plays an important role in the selectivity.     

New Anhydrous Proton Exchange Membrane for Intermediate Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Herein, we study the preparation and characterization of a new kind of proton exchange membrane. In the proton‐conducting membrane of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (DBS‐H), we use PEO as “proton solvent” due to its flexible molecular chain. Moreover, the electronegativity of the O atom on PEO may be used to attract protons under anhydrous conditions. The membranes are thermally stable up to 200 °C with less than 3 % mass loss. At 150 °C, without extra humidification, the proton conductivity of 60 % PVDF/22 % PEO/18 % DBS‐H membrane is approximately 10 ^?3 S cm^?1.     

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.     

Anhydrous proton conductivities of squaric acid derivatives

In this communication, we introduce squaric acid derivatives as anhydrous proton conductors. We report the synthesis, characterization and proton conductivities of four squaric acid derivatives. The anhydrous proton conductivity of one of the derivatives was 2.3 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 110 °C, comparable to the conductivity of molten 1H-1,2,3-triazole or 1H-imidazole.     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)–silica membranes doped with phosphotungstic acid. Morphology and proton conductivity

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)–silica membranes doped with phosphotungstic acid (PWA) are presented. The silica is generated in situ via the water free sol–gel process of polyethoxysiloxane (PEOS), a liquid hyperbranched inorganic polymer of low viscosity. At 100 °C and 90% RH the membrane prepared with PEOS (silica content = 20 wt%) shows two times higher conductivity than the pure SPEEK. The addition of small amounts of PWA (2 wt% of the total solid content) introduced in the early stage of membrane preparation brings to a further increase in conductivity (more than three times the pure SPEEK). During membrane formation PWA and the sulfonic acid groups of SPEEK act as catalysts in the conversion of PEOS in silica. Once the membranes are formed, PWA is incorporated in the silica network and acts as proton conductivity enhancer. The correlation between morphology and proton conductivity allows establishing the optimal doping level and preparation procedure. The morphology is studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while the proton conductivity is measured by impedance spectroscopy (IS). The direct methanol fuel cell performance is also investigated.     

磺化聚醚醚酮/磷钨酸复合膜的导电和甲醇渗透性能

通过磺化反应制备了磺化聚醚醚酮,1H-NMR测试表明其磺化度分别为0.65和0.73.用共混的方法制备了磺化聚醚醚酮/磷钨酸复合质子交换膜.研究了磺化聚醚醚酮的磺化度和磷钨酸的含量对复合膜的吸水性能?电导率,甲醇渗透性能的影响.随着磺化度和磷钨酸含量的增加,电导率逐渐增大,最高达到1.36×10-2S/cm(20℃),高于相同测试条件下NafionR○117膜的电导率(1.0×10-2S/cm).对复合膜的横向和纵向电导率进行了测试和比较,两者相差接近一个数量级.磷钨酸的掺杂虽然没有降低复合膜的甲醇渗透系数,但是仍然都低于相同条件下测得的NafionR○117膜的甲醇渗透系数.     

Performance of H2/O2 fuel cell using membrane electrolyte of phosphotungstic acid-modified 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilanes

Proton-conducting membranes based on phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) was investigated as the electrolyte for low temperature H₂/O₂ fuel cell. Parameters determining the conductivity and elastic modulus of the membranes were characterized by thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopic measurements. The composite containing 5% of PWA exhibited an elastic modulus below 100 MPa at room temperature and a high proton conductivity of 1.0 × 10⁻² S/cm at 80 °C and 100% RH. Low elastic modulus of the membrane was found to be useful for both the reduction of the membrane thickness and the better contact with the electrodes. The performance of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) was systematically studied as an effect of preparation conditions. A maximum power density of 45 mW/cm² and the current density of 175 mA/cm² at 0.2 V were achieved at 90 °C and 100% RH for the membrane of 5PWA·95GPTMS composition and 0.2 mm thickness.     

Properties of PWA/ZrO2-doped phosphosilicate glass composite membranes for low-temperature H2/O2 fuel cell applications

Phosphosilicate doped with a mixture of phosphotungstic acid and zirconium oxide (PWA/ZrO₂–P₂O₂–SiO₂) was investigated as potential glass composite membranes for use as H₂/O₂ fuel cell electrolytes. The glass membranes were studied with respect to their structural and thermal properties, proton conductivity, pore characteristics, hydrogen permeability, and performance in fuel cell tests. Thermal analysis including TG and DTA confirmed that the glass was thermally stable up to 400 °C. The dependence of the conductivity on the humidity was discussed based on the PWA content in the glass composite membranes. The proton transfer in the nanopores of the PWA/ZrO₂–P₂O₅–SiO₂ glasses was investigated and it was found that a glass with a pore size of ∼3 nm diameters was more appropriate for fast proton conduction. The hydrogen permeability rate was calculated at various temperatures, and was found to be comparatively higher than for membranes based on Nafion^®. The performance of a membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) was influenced by its PWA content; a power density of 43 mW/cm² was obtained at 27 °C and 30% relative humidity for a PWA/ZrO₂–P₂O₅–SiO₂ glass membrane with a composition of 6–2–5–87 mol% and 0.2 mg/cm² of Pt/C loaded on the electrode.     

A novel proton conductor of imidazole-aluminium phosphate hybrids in the solid state

Anhydrous proton transport at temperatures above 100 °C has attracted considerable attention in the development of fuel cells that operate at intermediate temperatures. Liquid-state imidazole (ImH) is known to be a fast anhydrous proton conductor above 100 °C; however, evaporation and severe conductivity drops above and below its melting point (～90 °C), respectively, are major drawbacks to ImH. In this paper, we report a novel solid-state anhydrous ImH-Al(H(2)PO(4))(3) (AlP) hybrid material prepared via a simple synthesis using mechanical milling. This solid-state hybrid exhibits relatively a high ionic conductivity of ～0.1 mS cm(-1) at 100 °C and remarkably a small activation energy of 0.23 eV. In addition, the ImH-AlP hybrid material provides a means of overcoming both temperature-dependent drawbacks to pure ImH: (1) the ImH-AlP hybrid is thermally stable up to 130 °C, and (2) the hybrid material maintains high ionic conductivity below the melting point of ImH.     

MCM-41-SO3H: an efficient,reusable, heterogeneous catalyst for the one-pot,three-component synthesis of pyrano[3,2-b]pyrans

Research on Chemical Intermediates - MCM-41-SO3H, ordered mesoporous silica material MCM-41 with covalently anchored sulfonic acid groups, was used as a solid acid catalyst for the convenient,...     

Organically modified montmorillonite and chitosan–phosphotungstic acid complex nanocomposites as high performance membranes for fuel cell applications

Nanocomposite membranes based on polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) of chitosan/phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and different types of montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared as alternative membranes to Nafion for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed an electrostatically fixed PWA within the PEC membranes, which avoids a decrease in proton conductivity at practical condition. Various amounts of pristine as well as organically modified MMT (OMMT) (MMT: Cloisite Na, OMMT: Cloisite 15A, and Cloisite 30B) were introduced to the PEC membranes to decrease in methanol permeability and, thus, enhance efficiency and power density of the cells. X-ray diffraction patterns of the nanocomposite membranes proved that MMT (or OMMT) layers were exfoliated in the membranes at loading weights of lower than 3 wt.%. Moreover, the proton conductivity and the methanol permeability as well as the water uptake behavior of the manufactured nanocomposite membranes were studied. According to the selectivity parameter, ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability, the PEC/2 wt.% MMT 30B was identified as the optimum composition. The DMFC performance tests were carried out at 70 °C and 5 M methanol feed and the optimum membrane showed higher maximum power density as well as acceptable durability compared to Nafion 117. The obtained results indicated that owing to the relatively high selectivity and power density, the optimum nanocomposite membrane could be considered as a promising polyelectrolyte membrane (PEM) for DMFC applications.