One Dimensional Enhanced Anhydrous Proton Conduction in Well Defined Molecular Columns Induced by Non-Covalent Interactions

1D anhydrous proton conduction is enhanced significantly in ionic channels created by self-assembly of functionalized organic phosphonic acid and aromatic heterocyclic 1,2,4-triazole molecules. This study reveals high proton conduction in one dimension through a well-defined supramolecular architecture in which two different molecules undergo host–guest synergy and self-assemble to provide two-fold advantages: 1) formation of the ionic channels and 2) higher proton conduction in the absence of water. A clear correlation is found between the phenomena of ionic channels and anhydrous conductivity in the absolute dry state and we demonstrate that the one-dimensional conductivity can be as high as that recorded for 3D channels in, for instance, Nafion.     

分散溶剂对PEMFC催化层中超薄Nafion离聚物质子传导的影响

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)商业化应用的瓶颈仍然是贵金属催化剂导致的成本问题。然而,目前对于催化层中纳米尺度全氟磺酸离聚物(以Nafion为代表)薄膜中质子传导的问题研究不足,无法完善三相界面的成型规律,进而指导催化层设计。在催化层浆料制备过程中,分散溶剂对Nafion的分散形态有直接影响,可能对催化层成型后附着在催化剂颗粒表面Nafion薄膜的微观结构有潜在影响,进而影响Nafion薄膜的质子传导能力。因此,在本文中利用分子自组装技术模拟催化层离聚物薄膜的聚集过程,于模型基底上制备厚度精确可控的纳米尺度Nafion薄膜,并通过微观测试表征技术探索并建立纳米尺度Nafion离聚物的微观结构模型,阐明分散溶剂对Nafion薄膜微观结构及质子传导的影响。研究发现Nafion薄膜在纳米尺度下的质子电导率比体相膜的质子电导率低一个数量级,使用介电常数较小的醇类溶剂可以使Nafion薄膜形成更有利于质子传导的微观结构,使Nafion薄膜的质子电导率得到提高。相关研究结果为优化PEMFC催化层结构,改善PEMFC催化层中质子传导问题提供给了依据。     

Self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayered films on Nafion with lowered methanol cross-over for DMFC applications

The paper is concerned with the deposition of self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer on Nafion membrane by layer-by-layer (LbL) technique with lowered methanol cross-over for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. The formation of self-assembled multilayered film on Nafion was characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy and it was found that the polyelectrolyte layers growth on the Nafion surface regularly. Furthermore, the proton conductivity and methanol cross-over measurements were carried out for characterization of the LbL self-assembled composite membranes. The results showed that the concentration and pH of the polyelectrolytes significantly affect the proton conductivity and methanol barrier properties of the composite membranes. 10⁻¹ monomol polyelectrolyte concentration and pH 1.8 was found to be optimum deposition conditions considering proton conductivity and methanol permeation properties of the LbL self-assembled composite membranes. The methanol permeability of the 10 bi-layers of PAH1.8/PSS1.8 deposited LbL self-assembly composite membrane was significantly suppressed and found to be 4.41 × 10⁻⁷ cm²/s while the proton conductivity value is in acceptable range for fuel cell applications.     

Synthesis, electrochemical properties and self-assembly of a proton-conducting core-shell macromolecule

Let the protons flow: The synthesis of a core-shell macromolecule bearing phosphonic acids is presented. The rigid central core serves as a scaffold to stabilize the flexible polymer shells. Pronounced proton conductivity is obtained under humidified conditions. The self-assembly of such dendritic macromolecules by electrostatic interactions on a modified gold substrate is investigated and characterized.     

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).     

Fabrication and Properties of Graphene Oxide/Sulfonated Polyethersulfone Layer-by-layer Assembled Polyester Fiber Composite Proton Exchange Membranes

Using the hydrogen-bonding interaction between graphene oxide(GO) and sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES), we constructed the multilayer structure of GO and SPES on the polyester fiber mats via layer-by-layer self-assembly. In each self-assembled layer, sulfonic acid groups are arranged along the axis of fiber, which provides the long-range proton transmission channels, promoting the rapidly proton conduction. The performances of the composite membranes based on SPES and multilayer assembled polyester fiber mats were studied. The results show that the proton conductivity of composite membranes increases with the increasing assembly layers. At the same time, the mechanical properties and methanol-resistance of the composite membranes were obviously improved.     

Heteropolyacid-encapsulated self-assembled materials for anhydrous proton-conducting electrolytes

The composite material of heteropolyacid (12-phosphotungstic acid; PWA) and polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) construct the PWA-encapsulated material by the self-assembly of -SO3H onto the PWA surface; as a result, the fast proton transfer occurred at the interface between the PWA and -SO3H, and the encapsulated material indicated the high anhydrous proton conductivity of 1 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 180 degrees C. These anhydrous proton-conducting materials without the existence of water molecules are quite different from customary ion-exchange membrane, such as Nafion, and may have advantages as an electrolyte membrane for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells operating at intermediate temperatures under anhydrous conditions but also for electrochemical devices including electrochromic displays, chemical sensors, and others.     

Self-assembly in surfactant-based liquid mixtures: octanoic acid/Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine systems

The physico-chemical properties of Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine (BEEA) plus octanoic acid (OA) mixtures have been investigated by IR, SAXS, WAXS, viscosimetry, and AC complex impedance spectroscopy in the whole composition range. Mainly driven by proton transfer from the acidic OA to the basic BEEA, the formation of stoichiometrically well-defined adducts takes place in the mixtures. This causes the slowing down of molecular dynamics and the increase in charge carrier number density. Interestingly, while the pure components possess no significant conductivity (about 10(-12) S cm(-1) at 25 °C), their mixtures show a composition-dependent enhanced conductivity (up to about 10(-5) S cm(-1)), i.e., more than seven orders of magnitude higher than that of the pure components. The comparison of the composition dependence of viscosity, direct-current conductivity, and static permittivity indicates the concurrence of contributions of different adducts and that the dynamics controlling molecular reorientation and momentum and charge transfer, even if ultimately related to the proton transfer from OA to BEEA, are different. The results can be used not only to design novel materials for application purposes, but also to shed more light on the principles regulating molecular self-assembly in surfactant-based liquid systems.     

Ionic Liquid Crystalline Calixarene with Photo-Switchable Proton Conduction

We have developed a new strategy for the preparation of a light-responsive ionic liquid crystal (LC) that shows photo-switchable proton conduction. The ionic LC consists of a bowl-shaped calix[4]arene core ionically functionalized with azobenzene moieties. The non-covalent architectures were obtained by the formation of ionic salts between the carboxylic acid group of an azo-derivative and the terminal amine groups of a calixarene core. The presence of ionic salts results in a hierarchical self-assembly process that extends to the formation of a nanostructured lamellar LC arrangement (smectic A phase). In this LC phase, the ionic LC calixarene is able to display proton conductive properties, since the ionic nanosegregated areas (formed by the ionic pairs) generate the continuous channels that favor proton transport. The optical and photo-responsive properties were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy, demonstrating that the azobenzene moieties of the ionic LC undergo reversible (E)-to-(Z) isomerization by irradiation with UV light. Interestingly, this (E)-to-(Z) photoisomerization results in a decrease of the proton conductivity values since the bent-shaped (Z)-isomer disrupts the lamellar LC phase. This isomerization process is totally reversible and leads to an ionic LC material with unique photo-switchable proton conductive properties.     

In situ crosslinking of polyoxometalate-polymer nanocomposites for robust high-temperature proton exchange membranes

The most practical high-temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are phosphoric acid (PA)-doped polymer electrolytes. However, due to the plasticizing effect of PA, it is a challenge to address the trade-off between the proton conductivity and the mechanical performance of these materials. Here, we report an effective strategy to fabricate robust high-temperature PEMs based on the in situ electrostatic crosslinking of polyoxometalates and polymers. A comb copolymer poly(ether-ether-ketone)-grafted-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PGE) with transformable side chains was synthesized and complexed with H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (PW) by electrostatic self-assembly, forming PGE/PW nanocomposite membranes with bicontinuous nanostructures. After a subsequent PA-treatment of these membranes, high-temperature PEMs of PGE/PW/PA ternary nanocomposites were obtained, in which the in situ electrostatic crosslinking effect between PW and PGE side chains was generated in the hydrophilic domains of the bicontinuous structures. The microphase separation structure and the electrostatic crosslinking feature endow the PGE/PW/PA membranes with excellent anhydrous proton conductive ability while retaining high mechanical performance. The membranes show a high proton conductivity of 42.5 mS/cm at 150 °C and a high tensile strength of 13 MPa. Our strategy can pave a new route based on electrostatic control to design nanostructured polymer electrolytes.     

Two Novel Three-Dimensional Tetraphenylethylene-Based Rare Earth MOFs with Ultra-High Proton Conductivity and Performance Stability

In this work, the two example rare earth-based metal-organic frameworks (La^III-based MOFs), Eu-ETTB and Gd-ETTB, were obtained by self-assembly. Both materials showed extremely high proton conductivity, with the proton conductivity of Eu-ETTB being 1.53×10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 98 % relative humidity (RH) and 85 °C and that of Gd-ETTB being 2.63×10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 98 % RH and 75 °C. This was almost the best performance observed for three-dimensional porous MOFs without post-synthetic modification and was based on milder conditions than for most materials. Furthermore, cycle test experiments and continuous work tests showed that both materials had excellent performance both in terms of stability and durability. Water vapor adsorption experiments showed that a large number of water molecules are adsorbed the hydrogen-bond network's being rebuilt by the adsorbed water molecules in the pore channel and thus optimizing the channels for proton transfer explained the MOF's high performance.     

多核多氧硫钼酸盐化合物的合成及质子传导性能

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)因能量转化率高、 污染小、 工作温度低、 启动速度快而被广泛应用. Nafion系列膜成本高、 结构特性模糊, 阻碍了质子传导性能的进一步提高和对传导机理的精确理解. 因此开发具有结构明确、 传导路径清晰的高质子传导率的晶态材料对于燃料电池领域具有重要意义. 本文利用有机配体5-羟基间苯二甲酸作为模板诱导[Mo₂S₂O₂]²⁺阳离子, 自组装成一种多核多氧硫钼酸盐簇[N(CH₃)₄]₂H₂· [(Mo₂S₂O₂)₈(OH)₁₆(C₈O₅H₄)₂]·22H₂O(Mo₁₆). 该化合物清晰明确的结构和结构中存在的密集氢键网络可用于进行质子传导性能的研究. 交流阻抗测试结果表明, Mo₁₆在宽温度范围内具有较高的质子传导性能. 在97%湿度(RH), 85 ℃条件下其质子传导率可达1.9×10^-2 S/cm, 表明该化合物具有作为高效质子导体的良好前景.     

导电聚间甲基苯胺空心微球的制备及表征

在无任何掺杂酸的条件下,以过硫酸铵(APS)既为氧化剂、又为掺杂剂,采用无模板(template-free)自组装的方法制备了导电聚间甲基苯胺(PMT)空心微球.该空心微球的平均直径约为2μm,壳的厚度约为140nm.研究表明PMT空心微球是以球状的间甲苯胺胶束为软模板(soft-template)经过自组装过程而形成的.借助FTIR、UV-Vis和XRD等结构表征证实自组装的空心微球为导电态的聚间甲基苯胺.     

A novel approach for highly proton conductive electrolyte membranes with improved methanol barrier properties: Layer-by-Layer assembly of salt containing polyelectrolytes

A series of highly proton conductive electrolyte membranes with improved methanol barrier properties are prepared from polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) including salt by Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method. The effects of added salt type (NaCl, MgCl₂) and salt concentration (1.0 M, 0.1 M) on proton conductivity (σ) and methanol barrier properties of the LbL self-assembled composite membranes are discussed in terms of controlled layer thickness and charge density. Furthermore, the influences of ion type in the multilayered composite membranes are studied in conjunction with physicochemical and thermal properties.The deposition of the self-assembly of PAH/PSS film on Nafion is followed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and it is observed that the polyelectrolyte layers growth on both sides of Nafion membrane regularly. (PAH/PSS)₅–Na⁺ and (PAH/PSS)₅–H⁺ with 1.0 M NaCl exhibits 49.6 and 27.8% reduction in lower methanol permittivity in comparison with the pristine Nafion^®117, respectively, while the proton conductivities are 12.97 and 74.69 mS cm⁻¹. Promisingly, it is found that the membrane selectivity values (Φ) of all multilayered membranes in H⁺ form are much higher than that of salt form (Na⁺ and Mg²⁺) and perfluorosulfonated ionomers reported in the literature. Also, we find out that the use of polyelectrolytes with high charge density causes a further improvement in proton conductivity and methanol barrier properties simultaneously. These encouraging results indicate that upon a suitable choice of LbL deposition conditions, composite membranes exhibiting both high proton conductivity and improved methanol barrier properties can be tailored for fuel cells.     

Enhanced oxygen reduction at Pd catalytic nanoparticles dispersed onto heteropolytungstate-assembled poly(diallyldimethylammonium)-functionalized carbon nanotubes

Both Keggin-type phosphotungstic acid (HPW) and Pd are not prominent catalysts towards the oxygen reduction (ORR), but their composite Pd-HPW catalyst produces a significantly higher electrochemical activity for the ORR in acidic media. The novel composite catalyst was synthesized by self-assembly of HPW on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via the electrostatic attraction between negatively charged HPW and positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium (PDDA)-wrapped MWCNTs, followed by dispersion of Pd nanoparticles onto the HPW-PDDA-MWCNT assembly. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM images show that Pd nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of MWCNTs even when the Pd loading was increased to 60 wt%. Electrochemical activity of the catalysts for the ORR was evaluated by steady state polarization measurements using a rotating disk electrode. Compared with the acid treated MWCNTs, Pd nanoparticles supported on the HPW-assembled MWCNTs show a much higher ORR activity that is comparable to conventional Pt/C catalysts. The high electrocatalytic activities could be related to high dispersion of Pd nanoparticles as well as synergistic effects originating from the high proton conductivity of HPW. The Pd/HPW-PDDA-MWCNTs system as the cathode catalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cells is demonstrated.     

Percolation model of conductivity of calix[n]arene-p-sulfonic acids

Proton conductivity of special class of aromatic sulfonic acids is described, in particular, calixarene sulfonic acids that consist of flat anionic layers interlinked by labile two-dimensional hydrogen-bond network. High proton conductivity of their hydrates was observed earlier. The dependence of their transport characteristics (the proton conductivity, the activation energy of conductivity) was shown to have threshold character. The studied systems’ behavior is described on basis of percolation model that assumes changing of the proton transport mechanism at low water content in the structure.     

Coordination-chemistry control of proton conductivity in the iconic metal-organic framework material HKUST-1

HKUST-1, a metal-organic framework (MOF) material containing Cu(II)-paddlewheel-type nodes and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate struts, features accessible Cu(II) sites to which solvent or other desired molecules can be intentionally coordinated. As part of a broader investigation of ionic conductivity in MOFs, we unexpectedly observed substantial proton conductivity with the "as synthesized" version of this material following sorption of methanol. Although HKUST-1 is neutral, coordinated water molecules are rendered sufficiently acidic by Cu(II) to contribute protons to pore-filling methanol molecules and thereby enhance the alternating-current conductivity. At ambient temperature, the chemical identities of the node-coordinated and pore-filling molecules can be independently varied, thus enabling the proton conductivity to be reversibly modulated. The proton conductivity of HKUST-1 was observed to increase by ~75-fold, for example, when node-coordinated acetonitrile molecules were replaced by water molecules. In contrast, the conductivity became almost immeasurably small when methanol was replaced by hexane as the pore-filling solvent.     

Polybenzimidazole dendrimer containing triazine rings-based high-temperature proton exchange membranes with high performances over a wide humidity range

A high-temperature proton exchange membrane with high proton conductivity over a wide humidity range still remains a challenge. PBI dendrimer containing triazine rings (TPBI) was synthesized to approach this aim considering its high content of hygroscopic terminal groups and of larger free volume. A novel proton conductor previously synthesized (zirconium 3-sulfopropyl phosphonate, ZrSP) was doped due to its good proton conductivity over a wide humidity range. TPBI was post-crosslinked with a tetrafunctional epoxy resin (N,N,N′,N′-tetraglycidyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane, TGDDM) to enhance the mechanical stability at low cross-linking degrees, which allowed high doping levels of ZrSP, and thus, high conductivity. The prepared membranes (TPBI-TGDDM/ZrSP) showed good thermal stability, high proton conductivity over wide humidity range, and good dimensional stability. At suitable degrees of branching, TPBI-TGDDM/ZrSP exhibited superior mechanical property, oxidative stability, methanol barrier property, and membrane selectivity than its linear analog (mPBI-TGDDM/ZrSP). As ZrSP instead of PA was applied as the proton conductor, TPBI-TGDDM/ZrSP showed good durability of proton conductivity, especially in comparison with TPBI-TGDDM/PA, which highly retarded decline in conductivity caused by PA leaking. The proton conductivity at 180 °C of TPBI(20)-TGDDM(10)/ZrSP(50) achieved 142, 84.2 and 23.6 mS cm^?1 at 100%, 50%, and 0 RH, respectively.     

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     

直接甲醇燃料电池中的膜性能比较

制备了磺化聚醚醚酮(SPEEK)和磺化酚酞型聚醚砜(SPES-C)两种质子交换膜,考察了其质子导电和阻醇性能.实验发现,两种新型质子交换膜具有一定的化学稳定性和质子电导率,尤其在高温下两种新膜的质子电导率与Nafion膜接近.两种新膜的甲醇透过系数要比Nafion膜的低1～2个数量级.分别以两种新型膜和Nafion115膜为电解质制备了直接甲醇燃料电池膜电极,讨论了膜材料的性能对直接甲醇燃料电池性能的影响.结果表明,膜材料的阻醇性越好,电池的开路电压越高;膜的电导率越高,在较高电流密度区域内电池的性能越好.