Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) based proton conductive membranes

Sulfonated poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PSAN–SO₃H) membranes were obtained by sulfonation of the original styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer, in different molar ratios, and characterized by vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analyses (TGA and DSC) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The thermal stability of the sulfonated polymers exhibited a dependence on the sulfonation degree and reached 261 °C for samples up to 1:4 (sulfonating agent to styrene unit). FTIR spectra showed the covalent incorporation of sulfonic groups at the styrene units, confirming the PSAN–SO₃H formation. Vibrational spectra also indicated the presence of hydronium ions and dissociated sulfonic groups, indicating the existence of mobile protons for ion conduction. DSC analyses evidenced two glass transition temperatures (T_g), one associated with an ion-water domain and other with the chain backbone glass transition. The maximum conductivity of PSAN–SO₃H membranes at ambient temperature was about 10⁻³ Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹, achieving 10⁻² Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 80 °C. The conductivity dependency on the temperature was found to be linear, similarly to other sulfonic acid polymers described on the literature, and the water uptake reaches 45.7% of the polymer mass, against 18.9% of the original copolymer.     

A novel approach to prepare proton exchange membranes from fluoropolymer powder by pre-irradiation induced graft polymerization

A novel approach was developed to overcome the non-uniform distribution of grafted polystyrene (PS) chains across proton exchange membranes (PEMs) manufactured using radiation induced graft polymerization of commercialized fluoropolymer films. This process involves the three key steps of grafting of styrene into fluoropolymer powder, processing the grafted powder into membranes, and then obtaining the PEM by sulfonation of these membranes. The structure of the membranes and the PEMs were analyzed by means of infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) to demonstrate the uniform distribution of poly(styrene-sulfonic acid) (denoted as PSSA) graft-chains across the PEM. The properties of the resulting PEMs, such as their ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake (WU), proton conductivity, dimensional stability, oxidative stability and thermal stability, were also investigated.     

Mesoporous hollow silica spheres as micro-water-tanks in proton exchange membranes

In order to decrease the swelling of Nafion^® and reduce the dependency of proton conductivity on high relative humidity (RH), mesoporous hollow silica spheres were synthesized and dispersed in Nafion matrix as micro-water-tanks in the proton exchange membranes (PEM). The morphologies of MHSi and Nafion/MHSi composite membranes are characterized by SEM and TEM. The effects of MHSi on water uptake, swelling, dehydration rate and proton conductivity of the composite membranes were investigated. The results show that, with a suitable portion of MHSi in the membrane, composite PEMs with enhanced water uptake, reduced swelling and improved proton conductivity are obtained.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Sulfonated Polyphosphazene-graft-Polystyrene Copolymersfor Proton Exchange Membranes简

A novel series of polyphosphazene-grafl-polystyrene （PP-g-PS） copolymers were successfully prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization （ATRP） of styrene monomers and brominated poly（bis（4-methylphenoxy）phosphazene） macroinitiator. The graft density and the graft length could be regulated by changing the bromination degree of the macroinitiator and the ATRP reaction time, respectively. The PP-g-PS copolymers readily underwent a regioselective sulfonation reaction, which occurred preferentially at the polystyrene sites, producing the sulfonated PP-g-PS copolymers with a range of ion exchange capacities. The resulting sulfonated PP-g-PS membranes prepared by solution casting showed high water uptake, low water swelling and considerable proton conductivity. They also exhibited good oxidative stability and high resistance to methanol crossover. Morphological studies of the membranes by transmission electron microscopy showed clear nanophase-separated structures resulted from hydrophobic polyphosphazene backbone and hydrophilic polystyrene sulfonic acid segments, indicating the formation of proton transferring tunnels. Therefore, these sulfonated copolymers may be candidate materials for proton exchange membranes in direct methanol fuel cell （DMFC） applications.     

燃料电池用磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜材料的制备与性质

以联萘二酐、磺化二胺和含咪唑基团的非磺化二胺单体为原料,制备了一系列高相对分子质量的磺化聚酰亚胺,该类聚合物具有优异的溶解性和良好的成膜性.得到的质子交换膜具有优异的水解稳定性.苯并咪唑碱性基团的存在提高了磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜膜的溶胀稳定性和热稳定性、降低了膜的甲醇透过率.质子导电率测试结果表明,IEC值为2.55mequiv·g-1的膜室温条件下的质子导电率为0.121 S·cm-1,高于在相同测试条件下Nafion 117膜的质子导电率(0.09 S·cm-1).     

Synthesis and characterisation of sulfonic acid-containing ion exchange membranes based on hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon polymers

Radiation-induced graft copolymerisation has been used to modify polymers with styrene to prepare pre-cursor copolymers that can be subsequently functionalised to produce ion exchange membranes. This paper describes the processes of simultaneous and pre-irradiation graft copolymerisation of styrene to modify hydrocarbon and fluorine-containing polymers and their sulfonation to produce hydrophilic membranes. The effect of varying the grafting conditions and their characterisation by ion exchange capacity, electrolytic resistivity and equilibrium water content is reported.     

Thermal stability of proton exchange fuel-cell membranes based on crosslinked-polytetrafluoroethylene for membrane-electrode assembly preparation

We investigated thermal properties of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) prepared by the radiation-induced grafting of styrene into crosslinked-polytetrafluoroethylene films and the subsequent sulfonation for fuel-cell applications. A conventional thermogravimetric analysis was found to be unreliable because the resulting curve varied greatly with the heating rate. Thus, in order to obtain accurate information, we performed an ex-situ heat-treatment analysis, which involved heating of the PEMs at fixed temperatures of 200-350 °C and measurement of their remaining weight, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and proton conductivity (σ) after washing in pure water. The IEC and σ did not change at any temperature up to 200 °C, indicating high thermal stability. At 250 °C, however, the PEM properties deteriorated probably via radical cleavage of the C-S bond between a sulfonic acid group and an aromatic ring, and condensation of two sulfonic acid groups. Finally, the PEM was hot-pressed with two electrodes at 200 °C to produce a good membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell.     

Oxidatively stable and highly proton conductive membrane from poly(arylene ether)s containing biphenyl moiety as pendent groups

Novel poly(arylene ether)s with sulfonic acid groups attached onto pendent biphenyl rings were successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic displacement of aromatic dihalides with bisphenols in aprotic solvent in the present of excess potassium carbonate, followed by sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid. The sulfonation took place only on the pendent biphenyl rings due to the specially designed molecular structure. The sulfonated polymers were very soluble in common organic solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N′-dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, and can be readily cast into tough and smooth films. These membranes showed excellent stabilities resistance to both oxidation and hydrolysis, as evidenced by subjecting to both Fenton's reagent test and immersion in boiling water. The proton conductivities (3.2 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹) of the as-made membranes were higher than that of Nafion^® 117 (1.9 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹) under same conditions. The satisfied properties of these new polymers demonstrated them as promising candidates for proton exchange membrane in PEM fuel cell applications.     

Local probe and conduction distribution of proton exchange membranes

Proton exchange membranes (Nafion) have been studied using current sensing atomic force microscopy to examine the correlation between the surface morphology and the ionic domains, and to probe the local ionic conduction distribution in the membranes. It is found that the local ionic conduction generated from the current sensing images follows a Gaussian-like distribution, with the peak value and the width of the distribution increasing with the relative humidity in the sample chamber and, thus, the water content in the membranes. Two types of Nafion membranes, Nafion 112 and Nafion 117, were studied using the method. The implications of the distribution in relation to the ionic conducting channels in the membranes are discussed.     

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing naphthalene moieties obtained by direct copolymerization as novel polymers for proton exchange membranes

A series of sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SPAEKs) were prepared by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation of 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene with 5,5′‐carbonyl‐bis(2‐fluorobenzenesulfonate) and 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone. The structure and degree of sulfonation (DS) of the SPAEKs were characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The experimentally observed DS values were close to the expected values derived from the starting material ratios. The thermal stabilities of the SPAEKs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, which showed that in acid and sodium salt forms they were thermally stable in air up to about 240 and 380 °C, respectively. Transparent membranes cast from the directly polymerized SPAEKs exhibited good mechanical properties in both dry and hydrated states. The dependence of water uptake and of membrane swelling on the DS at different temperatures was studied. SPAEK membranes with a DS from 0.72 to 1.60 maintained adequate mechanical properties after immersion in water at 80 °C for 24 h. The proton conductivity of SPAEK membranes with different degrees of sulfonation was measured as a function of temperature. The proton conductivity of the SPAEK films increased with increased DS, and the highest room temperature conductivity (4.2 × 10^?2 S/cm) was recorded for a SPAEK membrane with a DS of 1.60, which further increased to 1.1 × 10^?1 S/cm at 80 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2866–2876, 2004     

Facilitated transport of Hg(II) through novel activated composite membranes

The results presented in this work deal with the prime application of activated composite membranes (ACMs) for the transport of Hg(II) ions in a continuous extraction–re-extraction system using di-(2-ethylhexyl)dithiophosphoric acid (DTPA) as carrier. The effects of variables such as the pH, the nature of the acid and the concentration of the casting solutions on the transport of Hg(II) are also investigated. When the ACM was prepared with a 0.5 M DTPA solution and when the feed solution contained 2.5×10^–4 M Hg(II) in 0.1 M HCl, the amount of mercury extracted was greater than 76%. The re-extracted mercury was subsequently recovered by means of a stripping phase comprising 0.3 M thiourea solution in 2 M H₂SO₄, yielding 54% of the initial amount of mercury after transport had taken place for 180 min.     

Effect of heating and stretching membrane on ionic conductivity of sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide)

With chlorosulfonic acid as sulfonating agent, sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) (SPPO) was prepared by homogeneous method and SPPO membranes were cast from its solutions in dimethylacetamide. The obtained membrane of SPPO was heat-treated and stretched with different forces by thermal mechanical analyzer under its glass transition temperature. In addition, the effects of stretching and heating on ion conductivity of SPPO were investigated by using Solatron phase analyzer. It was shown that the mechanical stretching of SPPO has great effect on electric properties of SPPO under proper heating treatment, and the highest conductivities achieved were increased about 10 times that of the original membranes and reached 0.0983 S cm⁻¹. The X-ray diffraction indicated that the molecular chains of SPPO were arranged more regularly under constraint during the heat treatment, and the scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the morphologies of the film surfaces possessed more co-continuous regions and the hydrophilic ionic sulfonic acid groups orientated at stretching direction and connected more regularly, which facilitated the exchange and transfer of hydrated proton among these hydrophilic sulfonic acid groups.     

Improving the properties of the proton exchange membranes by introducing α-methylstyrene in the pre-irradiation induced graft polymerization

New proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared by pre-irradiation induced grafting of α-methylstyrene (AMS)/styrene (STY)/divinylbenzene (DVB) into the crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (RX-PTFE) films and successively sulfonated. The new PEMs showed the improved glass transition temperature and chemical stability as compared with the PEMs prepared by pre-irradiation induced grafting of STY/DVB. The balance of the cost, grafting kinetic, thermal properties and the properties of the resulted proton exchange membrane is the key point of this work.     

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.     

Synthesis and properties of highly branched sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s as proton exchange membranes

A series of branched sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s were successfully synthesized using 1,3,5-tris[4-(4-fluorobenzoyl)phenoxy]benzene (B₃) as branching agent. The synthesized branched copolymers were soluble in polar organic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and could be cast to form tough and smooth films. The effect of degree of branching (DB) on the proton conductivity, swelling ratio and oxidative stability of the membranes was investigated. With increasing DB value, the proton conductivity and oxidative stability of the membranes increased. A maximum oxidative stability of the branched membrane with 4% of DB value was determined to be 3.4 times larger than that of the linear membrane. In addition, as the DB value increased, the swelling ratio of the membranes decreased from 13.51% to 9.09% at 80 °C. The results indicated that increasing DB value might be an effective way to improve the properties of proton exchange membranes.     

Preparation of Nafion/sulfonated poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) nanocomposite as high temperature proton exchange membranes

Nafion/sulfonated poly(phenylmethyl silsesquioxane) (sPPSQ) composite membranes are fabricated using homogeneous dispersive mixing and a solvent casting method for direct dimethyl ether fuel cell (DDMEFC) applications operated above 100 °C. The inorganic conducting filler, sPPSQ significantly affects the characteristics in the nanocomposite membranes by functionalization with an organic sulfonic acid to PPSQ. Moreover, sPPSQ content plays an important role in membrane properties such as microstructure, proton conductivity, fuel crossover, and single cell performance test. With increasing sPPSQ content in the nanocomposite membrane, the proton conductivity increased and fuel crossover decreased. However, in a higher temperature range above 110 °C, Nafion/sPPSQ 5 wt.% composite membrane has the highest proton conductivity. Also, the DME permeability for the composite membrane with higher sPPSQ content increased sharply. The excessive sPPSQ content caused a large aggregation of inorganic fillers, leading to the deterioration of membrane properties. In this study, the optimal sPPSQ content for maximizing the DDMEFC performance was 5 wt.%. Our nanocomposite membranes demonstrated proton conductivities as high as 1.57 × 10⁻¹ S/cm at 120 °C, which is higher than that of Nafion. The cell performances were compared to Nafion/sPPSQ composite membrane with Nafion 115, and the composite membrane with sPPSQ yielded better cell performance than Nafion 115 at temperatures ranging from 100 to 120 °C and at pressures from 1 to 2 bar.     

Preparation and properties of UV irradiation-induced crosslinked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) proton exchange membranes

The crosslinkable sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (SPEEKs) were synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reaction of diallyl bisphenol A, tert-butylhydroquinone, 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone and sodium 5,5′-carbonylbis(2-fluorobenzene-sulfonate). The SPEEKs with high intrinsic viscosity showed good solubility and could be cast into flexible and transparent membranes. The SPEEK membranes containing benzophenone (BP) and triethylamine (TEA) photo-initiator system were treated by UV light to promote crosslinking. The experimental results revealed that the crosslinked membrane with 10 min irradiation time showed the most potential as proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell applications. When the irradiation time increased from 0 to 10 min, the water uptake decreased from 29.1 to 26.1%, and the tensile modulus and the tensile strength enhanced sharply from 0.80 to 1.44 GPa and from 40.3 to 63.4 MPa, respectively. In addition, the methanol diffusion coefficient reduced sharply from 1.70 × 10⁻⁶ to 7.42 × 10⁻⁷ cm²/s with only slight sacrifice in the proton conductivity, which made the crosslinked membrane with 10 min irradiation time possess the highest selectivity.     

Salt effect on the dissociation constant of acid-base indicators

The effect of the ionic environment on the dissociation constant of acid-base indicators is accounted for by using the specific interaction theory (SIT) of Broensted, Scatchard, and Guggenheim. It is shown that the SIT may be applied to evaluate the activity coefficients of organic ions, regardless of their size and structure, if suitable modifications are introduced.     

新颖无机质子传导材料的研究进展

质子传导在燃料电池、气体传感及电致显色等领域有重要的研究前景.尤其是在燃料电池领域,由于其具有低污染、高效率、操作简单和寿命长等优点而被广泛应用.本文介绍了质子传导在质子交换膜燃料电池中的重要作用及工作原理,分析了质子交换膜的质子传导机理,并简要分析总结了近年来关于无机及其复合质子导体材料的研究进展.     

Numerical simulation of the ordered catalyst layer in cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

A steady-state, one-dimensional numerical model based on cylindrical electrode structure is presented to analyze the performance of the ordered cathode catalyst layer in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. The model equations account for the Tafel kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction, proton migration, oxygen diffusion in the cylindrical electrolyte and the gas pores, oxygen distribution at the gas/electrolyte interface. The simulation results reveal that ordered catalyst layers have better performance than conventional catalyst layers due to the improvements of mass transport and the uniformity of the electrochemical reaction rate across the whole width of the catalyst layer. The influences of oxygen diffusivity in gas phase and electrolyte, and the proton conductivity have been shown. The limitation by oxygen diffusion in gas phase drives the active region of the catalyst layer to the catalyst layer/gas diffuser interface. The limitation by proton migration confines the active region of the catalyst layer to the membrane/catalyst layer interface. The limitation due to oxygen diffusion in electrolyte film maintains the uniform distribution of the active region throughout the ordered catalyst layer.