Assessing the influence of different cation chemistries on ionic conductivity and alkaline stability of anion exchange membranes

Synthesis and Alkaline Stability of Solubilized Anion Exchange Membrane Binders Based on Poly(phenylene oxide) Functionalized with Quaternary Ammonium Groups via a Hexyl Spacer

“…1,4 On the other hand, the hydrogen oxidation/evolution reaction is more sluggish in alkaline media. [5][6][7][8][9][10] The majority of the AEMs evaluated and reported in the peer-reviewed literature comprise polymers functionalized with benzyl trimethylammonium groups or, similar cation groups attached to the benzyl carbon of polymer backbones like polyphenylene, 11,12 polyphenylene oxide, 13,14 polysulfone, [15][16][17][18][19][20] and polyetheretherketone. [21][22][23] The reasons for this structure are the preference for polyaromatic backbones (due to its better chemical stability when compared with aliphatic backbones) and the favored functionalization routes using bromination or chloromethylation.…”

“…We have adopted this method in our previous works. 2,3,[14][15][16][17]36,37 It has been suggested that using aliphatic pendant spacer chains results in several advantages, including the formation of a well-hydrated and percolating phase resulting in high ionic conductivity, and lowering of degradation rates due to the presence of benzyl carbons. 24,25 However, some of the reports attesting to these advantages are not entirely conclusive, as they do not contain all the experiments necessary to characterize the degradation of the AEMs.…”

The Critical Role of Supporting Electrolyte Selection on Flow Battery Cost

“…Membrane ASR can vary drastically with membrane type, working ion, or electrolyte pH. [52][53][54] The latter two factors can also impact electrolyte conductivity and viscosity. A typically overlooked characteristic, electrolyte viscosity is of critical importance as it directly impacts mass transfer rates in the porous electrodes of a RFB, as well as required pumping power through the entire battery.…”

Effect of gas diffusion electrode parameters on anion exchange membrane fuel cell performance

“…Compared with conventional AFCs, AAEMFCs are superior in automotive application, owing to: (1) the elimination of electrolyte weeping, (2) reduced reactant crossover, (3) potentially simplified water management, as water is produced at the anode and consumed at the cathode, (4) a larger repertoire of effective catalytic materials, and (5) potentially reduced corrosion [2,[5][6][7]. To fully realize these advantages, extensive efforts have been made to explore new AEMs/ionomers using novel synthesis methods, a direction which has been most often identified as an important route in advancing the field [1,[8][9][10][11][12][13]. Unfortunately, AEM use requires new electrode design and raises new fabrication challenges, and little work on the electrode fabrication technology can be found in previous publications [14][15][16].…”