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Ionic liquid (1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide) (L) encapsulated in a copper-established metal organic framework (M) was synthesized using 2,6-napthalene dicarboxylic acid as the organic linker. The prepared additive was incorporated into a sulfonated polystyrene-blockpoly(ethylene-ranbutylene)-block-polystyrene (S-PSEBS) polymer. Thermal and chemical stabilities of the altered membranes were used to investigate the effect of the ionic liquid in S-PSEBS/ML composites. The physicochemical features of the membranes were investigated in depth in order to determine their appropriateness for fuel cell applications. Tensile strengths of the prepared composites were found to be between 18 and 25 MPa. The S-PSEBS/ML1:3 membrane exhibited the highest proton conductivity of 0.0310 S cm −1 ; however, the S-PSEBS was restricted to 0.0165 S cm −1 . The incorporation of ML into an S-PSEBS increased both proton conductivity and oxidative stability. Hence, the reported S-PSEBS/ML membranes are feasible materials to be used in PEMFC as alternate electrolytes.

Flexible organic–inorganic polymer nanocomposite membranes with uniformly distributed metal oxide nanoparticles were prepared using sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) as a base material and praseodymium oxide (PSO) as an inorganic additive. The degree of sulfonation of SPEEK was determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis and found to be 60%. The characteristic properties of the polymer nanocomposite membranes were examined by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, ion exchange capacity, water uptake ability, and proton conductivity. The incorporation of metal oxide into the polymer matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. The nanocomposite membrane exhibits good thermal stability when compared to that of the pristine membrane and SPEEK with 10 wt% of PSO loading was found to be stable up to 450°C. The assessment of polymer electrolyte membrane is accomplished by fabricating membrane electrode assemblies of pure SPEEK and SP-PSO-10 membranes and the latter produced maximum peak power density of 622 mW cm−2. The constructed SPEEK/PSO nanocomposite membranes offered superior physicochemical properties while applying these materials in an H2-O2 fuel cell.

Fuel cell technology affords cleaner energy resource for diverse applications like transport, power stationary and portable devices. Present review focused the role of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) based proton...

A series of phenolphthalein-based sulfonated poly(ether ether sulfone) (SPEES) membranes were synthesized by aromatic nucleophilic polymerization reaction. The degree of sulfonation was controlled by direct synthesis of sulfonated polymer, which leads to high thermal stability. The physicochemical properties of the SPEES membranes were studied in order to evaluate the suitability of these membranes in fuel cell applications. The ion-exchange capacity of the synthesized SPEES membranes was found in the range between 2.19 mequiv. g−1 and 2.35 mequiv. g−1. The morphology of the membranes was investigated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and confirmed the presence of hydrophilic domains that impart good proton conductivity. The membrane electrode assembly of SPEES-30 and SPEES-50 membranes has been successfully fabricated, where SPEES-50 produced a maximum peak power density of 643 mW cm−2 while applying in hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell.