Quaternized poly(2.6 dimethyl‐1.4 phenylene oxide)/polysulfone blend composite membrane doped with ZnO‐nanoparticles for alkaline fuel cells

Abstract

A series of quaternized poly(2.6 dimethyl‐1.4 phenylene oxide)/polysulfone (QPPO/PSF) blend anion exchange membrane (AEM) were successfully fabricated and characterized for alkaline fuel cell application. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were introduced in the polymer matrix to enhance the intrinsic properties of the AEM. To confirm successful fabrication, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) were used. The membrane properties were enhanced by the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. The addition of ZnO nanoparticles resulted to a higher ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 3.72 mmol g−1, increase of ion conductivity (IC) up to 52.34 mS cm−1 at 80 °C, enhancement of water uptake, and reduced methanol permeability. The QPPO/PSF/2% ZnO composite retained over 80% of its initial IC at room temperature and also retained over 50% of its initial IC at 80 °C when evaluated for alkaline stability. The maximum power output reached for the membrane electrode assembly constructed with QPPO/PSF/2%ZnO was 69 mW cm−2 at room temperature, which is about three times more than the parent QPPO membrane. The above results indicate that QPPO/PSF/ZnO is a good candidate as an AEM for fuel cell application. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45959.

Poly(2,6-Dimethyl-1,4-Phenylene Oxide)-Based Hydroxide Exchange Separator Membranes for Zinc–Air Battery

“…Figure 2 shows the proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR) spectrum of the brominated PPO. As previously reported in [16], pure PPO shows two characteristic peaks at around 2.1 and 6.5 ppm, assigned to the methyl (benzylic: –CH 3 ) and aryl protons, respectively. After bromination, a new peak appeared at 4.3 ppm, which is attributed to the brominated methyl protons (–CH 2 Br).…”

“…A successful synthesis of BrPPO and associated quaternized membranes was also confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, as shown in Figure 3. Characteristic peaks of phenyl group of PPO appeared at about 1600 and 1470 cm −1 , corresponding to C=C stretching of the benzene ring and C–H stretching, respectively [14,16]. Compared to PPO, a new peak appeared at about 987 cm −1 for BrPPO, which was assigned to C-Br stretching [18].…”

Nafion® reinforced with polyacrylonitrile/ZrO2 nanofibers for direct methanol fuel cell application

“…13 Metal oxide, such as silica, zirconia (ZrO 2 ), zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and graphene oxide retain water molecules and thereby improving properties of the polyelectrolyte membrane buy retaining water molecules. 5,[14][15] The water molecules within these inorganic nanofillers do not evaporate when temperature in increased, which increase ion migration within the membrane. 5,[14][15] ZrO 2 maintains a high melting point and has both outstanding chemical stability and excellent mechanical properties.…”

“…5,[14][15] The water molecules within these inorganic nanofillers do not evaporate when temperature in increased, which increase ion migration within the membrane. 5,[14][15] ZrO 2 maintains a high melting point and has both outstanding chemical stability and excellent mechanical properties. 16 This may be due to their spherical phase and natural hydrophilicity, thus preventing sufficient water diffusion through the membrane.…”

Simultaneously enhanced conductivity and dimensional stability of AAEM by crosslinked polymer microsphere with dense carrier sites

“…Albeit the huge superiority of AFC to its acidic counterpart, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), its practical commercialization is significantly hampered due to the lack of available AAEM. Current AAEMs are typically prepared by aromatic polymers with quaternary ammonium groups anchored on the polymer backbones, such as quaternized poly(phenylene oxide), poly(arylene ether sulfone), radiation‐grafted fluorinated polymers, and polyphenylene . Apart from bothersome alkaline stability, another major challenge for these AAEMs lies in the trade‐off between hydroxide conductivity and dimensional stability …”