Effect of dispersion state of Cloisite15A® on the performance of SPEEK/Cloisite15A nanocomposite membrane for DMFC application

The introduction of 2,4,6‐triaminopyrimidine (TAP) into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/Cloisite15A® nanocomposite membranes were investigated for the purpose of maintaining low methanol permeability and suppressing swelling in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). SPEEK with 63% of degree of sulfonation (DS) was prepared by sulfonation of PEEK. Cloisite15A (7.5 wt %) along with various weight loading of TAP was incorporated into SPEEK matrix via solution intercalation method. The effect of TAP loading on the SPEEK/Cloisite15A/TAP morphology was studied. The beneficial impact of the SPEEK/Cloisite15A/TAP morphology on the physicochemical properties of the membrane was further discussed. Swelling behavior, ion exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, and methanol permeability of the resultant membranes were determined as a function of Cloisite15A and TAP loadings. Uniform distribution of Cloisite15A particles in the SPEEK polymer matrix in the homogenous SPEEK/Cloisite15A/TAP nanocomposite membranes was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The water uptake of the SPEEK nanocomposite membranes decreased dramatically in the presence of TAP. The significant selectivity of SP/7.5/7.5 nanocomposite membranes could indicate a potential feasibility as a promising electrolyte for DMFC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Impact of Mesoporous and Microporous Materials on Performance of Nafion and SPEEK Polymer Electrolytes: A Comparative Study in DEFCs

Hybrid membranes are prepared from fluoro and non‐fluoro polymer membrane matrices with mesoporous and microporous inorganic materials. Nafion‐Si‐MSU‐F, Nafion‐Al‐MCM‐41, and zeolite 4A‐SPEEK‐MSA hybrid membranes are fabricated by solution casting method. The structural properties of the membranes are characterized using FE‐SEM and AFM techniques. Ion exchange capacity, sorption, proton conductivity, and thermal stability for the membranes have been extensively investigated. Ethanol permeability measurements for the membranes are performed using electrochemical as well as diffusion cell method. Among the membranes that are tested in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), Nafion‐Al‐MCM‐41 hybrid membrane delivered the highest peak power‐density of 44 mW cm^–2 at 70 °C.     

Preparation and investigation of acid–base composite membranes with modified graphitic carbon nanosheets for direct methanol fuel cells

The ethylenediamine-modified graphite oxide (EGO)-doped sulfonated poly (arylene ether ketone) (SPEEK) composite membranes have been prepared and developed for fuel cell applications in the present work. The base-modified EGO improves the dispersion of inorganic nanosheet in the polymer matrix and enhances proton conductivity by creating continuous conduction pathways. Furthermore, the methanol barrier property also be enhanced due to the nanosheet block the methanol-transport channels. EGO-filled membranes display improved dimensional stability, proton conductivity, and ethanol permeability than those using SPEEK control and graphite oxide (GO)-filled membranes. In the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), the SPEEK/EGO-1.5 membrane displays the highest current density of 395.9 mA/cm² at 60°C, which is 1.6- and 1.4-fold higher than that of SPEEK (254.0 mA/cm²) and SPEEK/GO membrane (292.6 mA/cm²).     

Sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s prepared by direct copolymerization as proton exchange membranes: Synthesis and comparative investigation on transport properties

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SPAEK) copolymers were synthesized by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation from 3,3′, 5,5′‐tetramethyl‐4, 4′–biphenol, 1,4‐bis(4‐fluorobenzoyl) benzene, and disulfonated difluorobenzophenone. The SPAEK membranes did not exhibit excessive swelling in hot water and at the same time show the proton conductivities in the range of 0.030 S/cm to 0.099 S/cm at 80°C. The methanol diffusion coefficients of the SPAEK membranes were in the range of 4.7 × 10^?7 to 8.1 × 10^?7cm²/s measured at 25°C. The transport properties of this series of SPAEK copolymers were compared to poly(aryl ether ether ketone)s (SPEEK), poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPEEKK), and Nafion® membranes. It was found that the transport properties (including proton conductivity and methanol permeability) follows the trend of SPEEKK‐60 < SPAEK‐60 < SPEEK‐60 < Nafion® 117, the order of which is also attributed to the differences in the chemical structure of the polymers and the membrane morphology. In general, this novel series of SPAEK membranes possess various advantages, such as low cost of the initial monomers, high thermal and mechanical stability, and low methanol permeability while simultaneously possessing sufficient proton conductivity, which makes them notably promising as proton exchange membrane (PEM) materials in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/epoxy/phenol novolac blend proton‐exchange membranes with low methanol permeability

A crosslinked epoxy [4,4′‐diglycidyl‐(3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethylbiphenyl) epoxy resin (TMBP)], cured by phenol novolac (PN), was introduced into a sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membrane (ion‐exchange capacity = 2.0 mequiv/g) with a casting‐solution, evaporation, and heating crosslinking method to improve the mechanical properties, dimensional stability, water retention, and methanol resistance. By Fourier transform infrared analysis, the interactions between the sulfonic acid groups and hydroxyl groups in the blend membranes were confirmed. The microstructure and morphology of the blend membranes were investigated with atomic force microscopy. As expected, the blend membranes showed excellent mechanical properties, good thermal properties (thermal stability above 200°C), lower swelling ratios (1.4% at 25°C and 7.0% at 80°C), higher water retention (water diffusion coefficient = 9.8 × 10^?6 cm²/s), and a lower methanol permeability coefficient (3.6 × 10^?8 cm²/s) than the pristine SPEEK membrane. Although the proton conductivity of the blend membranes decreased, a higher selectivity (ratio of the proton conductivity to the methanol permeability) was obtained than that of the pristine SPEEK membrane. The results showed that the SPEEK/TMBP/PN blend membranes could have potential use as proton‐exchange membranes in direct methanol fuel cells. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Proton exchange membrane based on crosslinked sulfonated polyphosphazene containing pendent perfluorosulfonic acid groups with sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)

A series of crosslinked membranes based on new sulfonated polyphosphazene bearing pendent perfluorosulfonic acid groups (PMFP‐g‐PS) and sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) were prepared and evaluated as proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The structure of PMFP‐g‐PS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectra. In comparison with the pristine PMFP‐g‐PS membrane, the crosslinked membranes showed improved water uptakes and proton conductivities. The methanol permeability values of the membranes were in the range of 1.32 × 10^?7 to 3.85 × 10^?7 cm²/s, which were lower than Nafion 117 (12.1 × 10^?7 cm²/s). The selectivity of all the membranes was much higher compared with Nafion 117. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that clear phase‐separated structures were well dispersed and connected to each other in the membranes. These membranes displayed high water uptakes and low swelling ratios, high proton conductivities, low methanol permeability values, good thermal, and oxidative stabilities. The results indicate that these membranes are potential candidate proton exchange membrane materials for DMFCs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43492.     

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)/silica composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

A series of sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES)/silica composite membranes were prepared by sol–gel method using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) hydrolysis. Physico–chemical properties of the composite membranes were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM–EDX), and water uptake. Compared to a pure SPES membrane, SiO₂ doping in the membranes led to a higher thermal stability and water uptake. SEM–EDX indicated that SiO₂ particles were uniformly embedded throughout the SPES matrix. Proper silica loadings (below 5 wt %) in the composite membranes helped to inhibit methanol permeation. The permeability coefficient of the composite membrane with 5 wt % SiO₂ was 1.06 × 10^?7 cm²/s, which was lower than that of the SPES and just one tenth of that of Nafion® 112. Although proton conductivity of the composite membranes decreased with increasing silica content, the selectivity (the ratio of proton conductivity and methanol permeability) of the composite membrane with 5 wt % silica loading was higher than that of the SPES and Nafion® 112 membrane. This excellent selectivity of SPES/SiO₂ composite membranes could indicate a potential feasibility as a promising electrolyte for direct methanol fuel cell. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

DMFCs用磺化聚醚醚酮/磺化酚酞型聚醚砜共混质子交换膜

A sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membrane with fairly high degree of sulfonation (DS) swells excessively and even dissolves at high temperature. To solve these problems, sulfonated phenolphthalein poly(ether sulfone) (SPES-C, DS 53.7%) is blended with the SPEEK matrix (DS 55.1%, 61.7%) to prepare SPEEK/SPES-C blend membrane. The decrease in swelling degree and methanol permeability of the membrane is dose-dependent. Pure SPEEK (DS 61.7%) membrane dissolves completely in water at 70ºC, whereas the swelling degree of the SPEEK (DS 61.7%)/SPES-C (40%, by mass) membrane is 29.7% at 80ºC. From room temperature to 80ºC, the methanol permeability of all SPEEK (DS 55.1%)/SPES-C blend membranes is about one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion®115. At higher temperature, the addition of SPES-C polymer increases the dimensional stability and greater proton conductivity can be achieved. The SPEEK (DS 55.1%)/SPES-C (40%, by mass) membrane can withstand temperatures up to 150ºC. The proton conductivity of SPEEK (DS 55.1%)/SPES-C (30%, by mass) membrane approaches 0.16 S&#8226;cm－1, matching that of Nafion&#61650;115 at 140ºC and 100% RH, while pure SPEEK (DS 55.1%) membrane dissolves at 90ºC. The SPEEK/SPES-C blend membranes are promising for use in direct methanol fuel cells because of their good dimensional stability, high proton conductivity, and low methanol permeability.     

Preparation of highly H+ permeable sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) cation exchange membranes and their applications in electro‐generation of thioglycolic acid

BACKGROUND: Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) was successfully synthesized from sulfonated 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone, 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone and bisphenol A. SPEEK cation exchange membranes were prepared by the casting method. The composition and morphology of SPEEK were characterized using Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopies, respectively. The ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake and degree of swelling of the membranes were also investigated. SPEEK120 was used as a separator in an electrolysis cell to produce thioglycolic acid (TGA). RESULTS: SPEEK polymerization was carried out at 145 and 175 °C for 10 h. The IEC of the SPEEK membranes was measured as 0.24–2.02 meq g^?1 and the water uptake as 2.26–26.45%. The degree of swelling of the membranes was 1.71–15.28%. TGA was effectively prepared by electro‐reduction of dithioglycolic acid. The current efficiency peaked at 58.31% at room temperature with a current density of 15 mA cm^?2. CONCLUSION: SPEEK120 membrane shows good dimensional stability and H⁺ permeability. Compared to the traditional metal‐reduction method, the current electro‐reduction technique avoids the use of zinc powder and so reduces environmental pollution. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate composite proton-exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) is a very promising alternative membrane material for direct methanol fuel cells. However, with a fairly high degree of sulfonation (DS), SPEEK membranes can swell excessively and even dissolve at high temperature. This restricts membranes from working above a high tolerable temperature to get high proton conductivity. To deal with this contradictory situation, insolvable zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate (Zr(PBTC)) powder was employed to make a composite with SPEEK polymer in an attempt to improve temperature tolerance of the membranes. SPEEK/Zr(PBTC) composite membranes were obtained by casting a homogeneous mixture of Zr(PBTC) and SPEEK in N,N-dimethylacetamide on a glass plate and then evaporating the solvent at 60°C. Many characteristics were investigated, including thermal stability, liquid uptake, methanol permeability and proton conductivity. Results showed significant improvement not only in temperature tolerance, but also in methanol resistance of the SPEEK/Zr(PBTC) composite membranes. The membranes containing 30 wt-% ∼ 40 wt-% of Zr(PBTC) had their methanol permeability around 10^-7 cm²·s^-1 at room temperature to 80°C, which was one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion ^¯115. High proton conductivity of the composite membranes, however, could also be achieved from higher temperature applied. At 100% relative humidity, above 90°C the conductivity of the composite membrane containing 40 wt-% of Zr(PBTC) exceeded that of the Nafion ^¯115 membrane and even reached a high value of 0.36 S·cm^-1 at 160°C. Improved applicable temperature and high conductivity of the composite membrane indicated its promising application in DMFC operations at high temperature.     

PWA/silica doped sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

A novel sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES)/phosphotungstic acid (PWA)/silica composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) application were prepared. The structure and performance of the obtained membranes were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water uptake, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability. Compared to a pure SPES membrane, PWA and SiO₂ doped membranes had a higher thermal stability and glass transition temperature (T_g) as revealed by TGA‐FTIR and DSC. The morphology of the composite membranes indicated that SiO₂ and PWA were uniformly distributed throughout the SPES matrix. Proper PWA and silica loadings in the composite membranes showed high proton conductivity and sufficient methanol permeability. The selectivity (the ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability) of the SPES‐P‐S 15% composite membrane was almost five times than that of Nafion 112 membrane. This excellent selectivity of SPES/PWA/silica composite membranes indicate a potential feasibility as a promising electrolyte for DMFC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)‐induced porous poly(ether sulfone) blend membranes for the separation of proteins and metal ions

Asymmetric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared by the blending of poly(ether sulfone) (PES) and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymers with N,N′‐dimethylformamide solvent by the phase‐inversion method. SPEEK was selected as the hydrophilic polymer in a blend with different composition of PES and SPEEK. The solution‐cast PES/SPEEK blend membranes were homogeneous for all of the studied compositions from 100/0 to 60/40 wt % in a total of 17.5 wt % polymer and 82.5 wt % solvent. The presence of SPEEK beyond 40 wt % in the casting solution did not form membranes. The prepared membranes were characterized for their UF performances, such as pure water flux, water content, porosity, and membrane hydraulic resistance, and morphology and melting temperature. We estimated that the pure water flux of the PES/SPEEK blend membranes increased from 17.3 to 85.6 L m^?2 h^?1 when the concentration of SPEEK increased from 0 to 40 wt % in the casting solution. The membranes were also characterized their separation performance with proteins and metal‐ion solutions. The results indicate significant improvement in the performance characteristics of the blend membranes with the addition of SPEEK. In particular, the rejection of proteins and metal ions was marginally decreased, whereas the permeate flux was radically improved. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate composite proton-exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) is a very promising alternative membrane material for direct methanol fuel cells. However, with a fairly high degree of sulfonation (DS), SPEEK membranes can swell excessively and even dissolve at high temperature. This restricts membranes from working above a high tolerable temperature to get high proton conductivity. To deal with this contradictory situation, insolvable zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate (Zr(PBTC)) powder was employed to make a composite with SPEEK polymer in an attempt to improve temperature tolerance of the membranes. SPEEK/Zr(PBTC) composite membranes were obtained by casting a homogeneous mixture of Zr(PBTC) and SPEEK in N,N-dimethylacetamide on a glass plate and then evaporating the solvent at 60°C. Many characteristics were investigated, including thermal stability, liquid uptake, methanol permeability and proton conductivity. Results showed significant improvement not only in temperature tolerance, but also in methanol resistance of the SPEEK/Zr(PBTC) composite membranes. The membranes containing 30 wt-% ∼ 40 wt-% of Zr(PBTC) had their methanol permeability around 10⁻⁷ cm²·s⁻¹ at room temperature to 80°C, which was one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion?115. High proton conductivity of the composite membranes, however, could also be achieved from higher temperature applied. At 100% relative humidity, above 90°C the conductivity of the composite membrane containing 40 wt-% of Zr(PBTC) exceeded that of the Nafion?115 membrane and even reached a high value of 0.36 S·cm⁻¹ at 160°C. Improved applicable temperature and high conductivity of the compositemembrane indicated its promising application inDMFC operations at high temperature. __________ Translated from Acta Polymerica Sinica, 2007, (4): 337–342 [译自:高分子学报]     

Effect of clay modification on the structure and properties of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/clay nanocomposites

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/clay hybrid membranes were prepared using three types of commercially available clays, the sodium montmorillonite (IC), hydrophobic organo‐clay with long alkyl chains (OC), and organo‐clay with carboxylic acid end groups (HC). It was found that the SPEEK/HC hybrid membranes achieved the best clay dispersion, with the exfoliation of the clay nano‐platelets when the filler loading was < 10 wt%. The incorporation of the carboxylic acid groups in clay layers also improved the connectivity between the ionic clusters in the membrane, resulting in higher proton conductivity without compromising the dimensional stability of membranes. The selectivity higher than the pristine SPEEK membranes was obtained for the SPEEK/HC hybrid membranes at low filler loading (<10 wt%), with higher proton conductivity and similar methanol permeability. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2632–2638, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

DMFCs用SPEEK/SiOx-S复合质子交换膜

A sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membrane with a fairly high degree of sulfonation (DS) can swell excessively and even dissolve at high temperature. To solve these problems, insolvable functionalized silica powder with sulfonic acid groups (SiOx-S) was added into the SPEEK matrix (DS 55.1%) to prepare SPEEK/ SiOx-S composite membranes. The decrease in both the swelling degree and the methanol permeability of the membranes was a dose-dependent result of addition of the SiOx-S powder. Pure SPEEK membrane swelled 52.6% at 80°C, whereas the SPEEK/SiOx-S (15%, by mass) membrane swelled only 27.3% at the same temperature. From room temperature to 80℃, all SPEEK/SPEEK/SiOx-S composite membranes had methanol permeability of about one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion&#61650;115. Compared with pure SPEEK membranes, the addition of the SiOx-S powder not only leads to higher proton conductivity, but also increases the dimensional stability at higher temperatures, and greater proton conductivity can be achieved at higher temperature. The SPEEK/SiOx-S (20%, by mass) membrane could withstand temperature up to 145°C, at which in 100% relative humidity (RH) its proton conductivity exceeded slightly that of Nafion&#61650;115 membrane and reached 0.17 S&#8226;cm－1, while pure SPEEK mem-brane dissolved at 90°C. The SPEEK/SiOx-S composite membranes are promising for use in direct methanol fuel cells because of their good dimensional stability, high proton conductivity, and low methanol permeability.     

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)/phosphotungstic acid/attapulgite composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Novel composite sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)(SPES)/phosphotungstic acid (PWA)/attapulgite (AT) membranes were investigated for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Physical–chemical properties of the composite membranes were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM‐EDX, water uptake, tensile test, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability. Compared with a pure SPES membrane, PWA, and AT doping in the membrane led to a higher thermal stability and glass transition temperature (T_g) as revealed by TGA and DSC. Tensile test indicated that lower AT content (3%) in the composite can significantly increase the tensile strength, while higher AT loading demonstrated a smaller contribution on strength. Proper PWA and AT loadings in the composite membranes can increase the proton conductivity and lower the methanol cross‐over. The proton conductivity of the SPES‐P‐A 10% composite membrane reached 60% of the Nafion 112 membrane conductivity at room temperature while the methanol permeability was only one‐fourth of that of Nafion 112 membrane. This excellent performances of SPES/PWA/AT composite membranes could indicate a potential feasibility as a promising electrolyte for DMFC. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Tuning the gas separation performance of fluorinated and sulfonated PEEK membranes by incorporation of zeolite 4A

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) containing fluorinated‐sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (F‐SPEEK) and zeolite 4A filler, were prepared by solution casting. F‐SPEEK with a fixed degree of sulfonation (40%) was used for membrane synthesis. The SEM pictures showed good interfacial adhesion between filler particles and polymer, which was also confirmed by the increase in glass transition temperature of MMMs with increase in filler particles. Pure and mixed gas permeation experiments were carried out to investigate the potential of this membrane material. The results revealed that addition of zeolite 4A fillers enhanced both permeability and selectivity owing to the intrinsic nature of polymer and modified membrane morphology due to filler. The highest permeability obtained for CO₂ at 30% filler loading was 49.2 Barrer, while highest selectivities obtained for CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ were 55 and 58 compared to 47 and 51 for the unfilled polymer, respectively. Intrinsic CO₂ solubility of F‐SPEEK was observed to be decreased from 10.7 to 1.9 (10^?2) cm³ (STP)/cm³ cmHg with the addition of Zeolite 4A. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45952.     

Chitosan/titanate Nanotube Hybrid Membrane with Low Methanol Crossover for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Titanate nanotubes (TNTs) about 10 nm in diameter and 200–600 nm in length were hydrothermally synthesized, and then incorporated into a chitosan (CS) matrix to fabricate chitosan/titanate nanotube (CS/TNT) hybrid membranes for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). These hybrid membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Moreover, their performances, including mechanical strength, water and methanol uptake, methanol permeability, and proton conductivity were determined. SEM results demonstrated that TNTs dispersed homogeneously in the hybrid membranes. Mechanical strength and TG measurements demonstrated that the mechanical and thermal stability of CS/TNT hybrid membranes were much higher than those of pure chitosan membranes. PALS analysis revealed that the fractional free volume (FFV) of CS/TNT hybrid membranes increased with the incorporation of TNTs and, thus, resulting in the reduction of methanol crossover. In all as‐prepared membranes, the hybrid membrane containing 15 wt % TNTs exhibited the highest mechanical strength of 85.0 MPa, low methanol permeability of 0.497 · 10^–6 cm²·s^–1, and proton conductivity of 0.0151 S·cm^–1, which had the potential for DMFC applications.     

Effects of organically modified nanoclay on the transport properties and electrochemical performance of acid‐doped polybenzimidazole membranes

Nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membranes based on phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) doped polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) with various loading weights of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) were prepared and characterized for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed the exfoliated structure of OMMT nanolayers in the polymeric matrices. An H₃PO₄–PBI/OMMT membrane composed of 500 mol % doped acid and 3.0 wt % OMMT showed a membrane selectivity of approximately 109,761 in comparison with 40,500 for Nafion 117 and also a higher power density (186 mW/cm²) than Nafion 117 (108 mW/cm²) for a single‐cell DMFC at a 5M methanol feed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Sulphonated Tetramethyl Poly(ether ether ketone)/Epoxy/Sulphonated Phenol Novolac Semi‐IPN Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

The sulphonated phenol novolac (PNBS) which was used as a curing agent of epoxy was synthesised from phenol novolac (PN) and 1, 4‐butane sultone and confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR. The degree of sulphonation (DS) in PNBS was calculated by ¹H NMR. The semi‐IPN membranes composed of sulphonated tetramethyl poly(ether ether ketone) (STMPEEK) (the value of ion exchange capacity is 2.01 meq g^–1), epoxy (TMBP) and PNBS were successfully prepared. The semi‐IPN membranes showed high thermal properties which were measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). With the introduction of the cross‐linked TMBP/PNBS, the mechanical properties, dimensional stability, methanol resistance and oxidative stability of the membranes were improved in comparison to the pristine STMPEEK membrane. Although the proton conductivities of the semi‐IPN membranes were lower than those of the pristine STMPEEK membrane, the higher selectivity defined as the ratio of the proton conductivity to methanol permeability was obtained from the STMPEEK/TMBP/PNBS‐14 semi‐IPN membrane. The results indicated that the semi‐IPN membranes could be promising candidates for usage as proton exchange membranes in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).