Polymer electrolyte membranes for the direct methanol fuel cell: A review

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has the potential to replace lithium‐ion rechargeable batteries in portable electronic devices, but currently experiences significant power density and efficiency losses due to high methanol crossover through polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs). Numerous publications document the synthesis and characterization of new PEMs for the DMFC. This article reviews this research, transport phenomena in PEMs, and experimental techniques used to evaluate new PEMs for the DMFC. Although many PEMs do not show significant improvements over Nafion®, the benchmark PEM in DMFCs, experimental results show that several new PEMs exhibit lower methanol crossover at similar proton conductivities and/or higher DMFC power densities. These results and recommendations for future research are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Parts B: Polym Phys 44: 2201–2225, 2006     

Mechanical endurance of polymer electrolyte membrane and PEM fuel cell durability

The life of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is currently limited by the mechanical endurance of polymer electrolyte membranes and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). In this paper, the authors report recent experimental and modeling work toward understanding the mechanisms of delayed mechanical failures of polymer electrolyte membranes and MEAs under relevant PEMFC operating conditions. Mechanical breach of membranes/MEAs in the form of pinholes and tears has been frequently observed after long‐term or accelerated testing of PEMFC cells/stacks. Catastrophic failure of cell/stack due to rapid gas crossover shortly follows the mechanical breach. Ex situ mechanical characterizations were performed on MEAs after being subjected to the accelerated chemical aging and relative humidity (RH) cycling tests. The results showed significant reduction of MEA ductility manifested as drastically reduced strain‐to‐failure of the chemically aged and RH‐cycled MEAs. Postmortem analysis revealed the formation and growth of mechanical defects such as cracks and crazing in the membranes and MEAs. A finite element model was used to estimate stress/strain states of an edge‐constrained MEA under rapid RH variations. Damage metrics for accelerated testing and life prediction of PEMFCs are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2346–2357, 2006     

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s containing fluorinated moieties as proton exchange membrane materials

A series of sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s statistical copolymers with high molecular weights were synthesized via an aromatic nucleophilic substitution polymerization. The sulfonation content (SC), defined as the number of sulfonic acid groups contained in an average repeat unit, could be controlled by the feed ratios of monomers. Flexible and strong membranes in sodium sulfonate form could be prepared by the solution casting method, and readily transformed to their proton forms by treating them in 2 N sulfuric acid. The polymers showed high T_gs, which increased with an increase in SC. Membranes prepared from the present sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone ketone) copolymers containing the hexafluoroisopropylidene moiety (SPEEKK‐6F) and copolymers containing the pendant 3,5‐ditrifluoromethylphenyl moiety (SPEEKK‐6FP) had lower water uptakes and lower swelling ratios in comparison with previously prepared copolymers containing 6F units. All of the polymers possessed proton conductivities higher than 1 × 10^?2 S/cm at room temperature, and proton conductivity values of several polymers were comparable to that of Nafion at high relative humidity. Their thermal stability, oxidative stability, and mechanical properties were also evaluated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2299–2310, 2006     

Corner view on the crown domain

In this paper we raise a question about the boundary of the crown domain of a Riemannian symmetric space X. In case X is of Hermitian type we give an affirmative answer.     

Preparation and Characterization of a Cobalt‐Containing Mono‐Phosphine Ligand and its Coordinated Molybdenum Complex

A cobalt‐containing monodentate phosphine [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(i‐Pr)₂] 2f , was prepared from the reaction of (μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₆ 1 with PhC≡CP(i‐Pr)₂. It was accompanied by an oxidized compound, [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(=O)(i‐Pr₂)] 2fo during the chromatographic process. Further reaction of 2f with Mo(CO)₆ resulted in the formation of a 2f ‐ligated molybdenum complex 4 , [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(i‐Pr₂)‐κP]‐Mo(CO)₅.     

Catalytic enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction via a chiral indium(III)-pybox complex

A chiral indium(III) complex prepared from indium triflate and a pybox ligand has been developed to give good yields and enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee) in the addition of (1-methoxy-2-methyl-propenyloxy)-trimethylsilane to various aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes via the Mukaiyama aldol reaction.     

A procedure for measuring the flexibility of single wood-pulp fibres

A way of determining the flexibility of wood-pulp fibres is developed, which involves i) a precise measurement of the topology of single-fibres by using a confocal laser scanning microscope and ii) the measurement of the elastic modulus of the fibres by using a single-fibre fatigue cell. Reported in this paper are the initial results of tests carried out on black spruce fibres, which have been subjected to three different levels of mechanical refining energy, namely ∼1100, 2300, and 3500 kWh/t. It is found that the fibre flexibility rises significantly between the first and second energy levels, but it does not change to the same degree between the second and third ones. The described procedure of measuring the flexibility of fibres may be used to establish the appropriate refiner energy necessary for the production of a specific grade of paper. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 115–128, January–February, 2006.     

仿射Weyl群(E～)6的a值5的左胞腔

Coxeter群的胞腔是1979年Kazhdan和Lusztig中定义的，这些胞腔理论在代数群的表示理论中发挥了重要的作用。对一些特殊的情况，胞腔的分类已经明确地给出了，例如，对于秩为2的群参见，对于An^-参见，对于a值4的典范型和或参见.本文利用时俭益的运算算法给出了仿射Weyl群E6^-的a值等于5的所有左胞腔。