Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether nitrile)-Based Composite Membranes Enhanced with Ca2+ Bridged Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Oxide Networks

Abstract

As the core component of proton exchange membrane fuel cell, proton exchange membranes (PEM) have attracted much attention of researchers. To trade-off the proton conduction, dimensional stability and anti-oxidation ability, graphene oxide (GO) and acidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) using calcium ion as coordination bridge (GO-Ca 2+ -MWCNT) was synthesized, and then incorporating into sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) (SPEN) to fabricate SPEN/GO-Ca 2+ -MWCNT organic-inorganic composite membranes by solution-casting method and explore the in uence of varying loading on performances as PEM. It was found that the proton conductivity of the composite membranes was higher than that of SPEN, while maintaining better dimensional stability, excellent anti-oxidation ability and good mechanical properties. All of these were attributed to the formation of three-dimensional structure between GO and MWCNT bridged by Ca 2+ . Particularly, the SPEN/GO-Ca 2+ -MWCNT-1 composite membrane exhibited excellent tensile strength of 71.45 MPa, better thermal stability as well as high proton conductivity (0.054 S/cm at 30 ℃, and 0.193 S/cm at 90 ℃), above 10 -2 S/cm, satisfying the requirement of fuel cells. All in all, the results indicate that the ller with three-dimensional network structure can effectively improve the performances of SPEN, and the prepared composite membranes show potential applications in many elds.

TiO2 nanoparticle enhanced high temperature proton conductivity in hyperbranched sulfonated polyarylene aliphatic ketones for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications

“…Perhaps, due to the degradation of its oxygen comprising functional groups of the small presented amount of TiO 2 NPs. The pure HB‐SPAAKs decomposition temperatures of the membranes are higher than that of pure TiO 2 /HB‐SPAAKs, since it has added a 5% of TiO 2 NPs and increased stability 46 …”

“…The pure HB-SPAAKs decomposition temperatures of the membranes are higher than that of pure TiO 2 / HB-SPAAKs, since it has added a 5% of TiO 2 NPs and increased stability. 46…”