Issue 2, 2021

Preparation of crosslinker-free anion exchange membranes with excellent physicochemical and electrochemical properties based on crosslinked PPO-SEBS

Abstract

The process of crosslinking is widely employed to increase the physicochemical stability of anion exchange membranes and, in some cases, improve ion conductivity. For a general case in which a polymer is crosslinked by a crosslinking agent, the physicochemical properties of the polymer can be greatly altered, depending on the type of crosslinking agent. In this study, we induced crosslinking without a crosslinking agent to intentionally maximise various physical properties (i.e., mechanical properties, swelling ratios, and so forth) of two commercially-available polymers. A triazole was incorporated into the conducting group to maximise the ion conductivity, especially under room humidity (RH) conditions. The crosslinked PPO-SEBS membranes prepared through this approach were not only capable of forming very thin membranes (10 μm thickness) with excellent physical properties (34.3 MPa of tensile strength and 91.6% of elongation at break) but also exhibited high hydroxide ion conductivity under 95% RH, and conductivity plays an important role in achieving good fuel cell performance. When the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), as fabricated utilising a crosslinked PPO-SEBS membrane and a platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst on each electrode, was operated in conditions with a H2/O2 gas flow and a 60 °C temperature, a stable fuel cell performance was obtained for a long period of time (300 hours) at a maximum power density of 405 mW cm−2. This result surpasses the performance of commercialized AEMs and is comparable with the performance levels of cutting-edge AEMs when operated under similar conditions.

Graphical abstract: Preparation of crosslinker-free anion exchange membranes with excellent physicochemical and electrochemical properties based on crosslinked PPO-SEBS

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Oct 2020
Accepted
07 Dec 2020
First published
07 Dec 2020

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021,9, 1062-1079

Preparation of crosslinker-free anion exchange membranes with excellent physicochemical and electrochemical properties based on crosslinked PPO-SEBS

S. Sung, J. E. Chae, K. Min, H. Kim, S. Y. Nam and T. Kim, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 1062 DOI: 10.1039/D0TA10194J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements