State of understanding of nafion

Proton Transport and the Water Environment in Nafion Fuel Cell Membranes and AOT Reverse Micelles

The properties of confined water and diffusive proton-transfer kinetics in the nanoscopic water channels of Nafion fuel cell membranes at various hydration levels are compared to water in a series of well-characterized AOT reverse micelles with known water nanopool sizes using the photoacid pyranine as a molecular probe. The side chains of Nafion are terminated by sulfonate groups with sodium counterions that are arrayed along the water channels. AOT has sulfonate head groups with sodium counterions that form the interface with the reverse micelle's water nanopool. The extent of excited-state deprotonation is observed by steady-state fluorescence measurements. Proton-transfer kinetics and orientational relaxation are measured by time-dependent fluorescence using time-correlated single photon counting. The time dependence of deprotonation is related to diffusive proton transport away from the photoacid. The fluorescence reflecting the long time scale proton transport has an approximately t-0.8 power law decay in contrast to bulk water, which has a t-3/2 power law. For a given hydration level of Nafion, the excited-state proton transfer and the orientational relaxation are similar to those observed for a related size AOT water nanopool. The effective size of the Nafion water channels at various hydration levels are estimated by the known size of the AOT reverse micelles that display the corresponding proton-transfer kinetics and orientational relaxation.

Atomistic simulations of hydrated nafion and temperature effects on hydronium ion mobility

The effects of hydration level and temperature on the nanostructure of an atomistic model of a Nafion (DuPont) membrane and the vehicular transport of hydronium ions and water molecules were examined using classical molecular dynamics simulations. Through the determination and analysis of structural and dynamical parameters such as density, radial distribution functions, coordination numbers, mean square deviations, and diffusion coefficients, we identify that hydronium ions play an important role in modifying the hydration structure near the sulfonate groups. In the regime of low level of hydration, short hydrogen bonded linkages made of water molecules and sometimes hydronium ions alone give a more constrained structure among the sulfonate side chains. The diffusion coefficient for water was found to be in good accord with experimental data. The diffusion coefficient for the hydronium ions was determined to be much smaller (6-10 times) than that for water. Temperature was found to have a significant effect on the absolute value of the diffusion coefficients for both water and hydronium ions.

Modelling of morphology and proton transport in PFSA membranes

Computational modelling studies of the structure of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer membranes consistently exhibit a nanoscopic phase-separated morphology in which the ionic side chains and aqueous counterions segregate from the fluorocarbon backbone to form clusters or channels. Although these investigations do not unambiguously predict the size or shape of the clusters, and whether or not the channels percolate the matrix or if the connections between them are more transient, the sequence of co-monomers along the main chain appears strongly to influence the domain size of the ionic regions, with more blocky sequences giving rise to larger domain sizes. The fundamental insight that substantial rearrangement of the sulfonic acid terminated side chains and fluorocarbon backbone takes place during swelling or shrinkage is borne out by both molecular and mesoscale simulations of model PFSA polymers, along with ab initio electronic structure calculations of minimally hydrated oligomeric fragments. Molecular-level modelling of proton transport in PFSA membranes attests to the complexity of the underlying mechanisms and the need to examine the chemical and physical processes at several distinct time and length scales. These investigations have revealed that the conformation of the fluorocarbon backbone, flexibility of the sidechains, and degree of aggregation and association of the sulfonic acid groups under minimally hydrated conditions collectively control the dissociation of the protons and the formation of Zundel and Eigen cations. The former appear to be the dominant charge carriers when the limiting water content allows only for the formation of a contact ion pair with the tethered sulfonate anion. As the water content increases, solvent-separated Eigen ions begin to appear, indicating that the dominant mechanism for diffusion of protons occurs over a region approximately 4 A away from the sulfonate groups. Finally, both the vehicular and Grotthuss shuttling mechanisms contribute to the mobility of the protons but, surprisingly, they are not always correlated, resulting in a lower overall diffusion coefficient. In summary, as the preceding observations indicate, the state of computational modelling of PFSA membranes has progressed sufficiently over the last decade to enable its use as a powerful predictive tool with which to guide the process of designing novel membrane materials for fuel cell applications.

Characterization of a membrane-based, electrochemically driven pumping system using aqueous electrolyte solutions

Electrokinetic flow provides a mechanism for a variety of fluid pumping schemes. The design and characterization of an electrochemically driven pump that utilizes porous carbon electrodes, iodide/triiodide redox electrolytes, and Nafion membranes is described. Fluid pumping by the cell is reversible and controlled by the cell current. Chronopotentiometry experiments indicate that the total available fluid that can be pumped in a single electrolysis without gas evolution is determined solely by the initial concentration of electrolyte and the applied current. The magnitude of the fluid flow at a given current is determined by the nature of the cation in the electrolyte and by the water absorption properties of the Nafion membrane. For 1 M aqueous electrolytes, pumping rates ranging from 1 to 14 microL/min were obtained for current densities of 10-30 mA/cm2 of membrane area. Molar volume changes for the I3-/I- redox couple and for the alkali cation migration contribute little to the observed volumetric flow rates; the magnitude of the flow is dominated by the migration-induced flow of water.

Electrochemical atomic force microscopy study of proton conductivity in a Nafion membrane

High membrane conductivity is one of the key parameters in polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. We introduce an electrochemical atomic force microscopy method that provides simultaneously the surface topography of a Nafion 112 membrane and the conductivity of ion channels with an unprecedented resolution of ca. 10 nm. For given conditions, a large fraction of the channel ports is found to conduct exactly the same number of protons per unit time. This is taken as evidence for an optimum pore size and structure for proton conduction, or alternatively, for an efficient connectivity of the ion channel network, so that the same conductivity is measured at all exit pores. The time response following a potential step and the influence of the relative humidity on the transport properties is investigated. The method will be of relevance for tailoring the production technology to yield an optimised micromorphology, and it permits detailed tests of membrane models and provides data for theoretical modelling of proton conductivity.

Effect of SiO2 on relaxation phenomena and mechanism of ion conductivity of [Nafion/(SiO2)x] composite membranes

This report describes a study of the effect of SiO2 nanopowders on the mechanism of ionic motion and interactions taking place in hybrid inorganic-organic membranes based on Nafion. Five nanocomposite membranes of the formula [Nafion/(SiO2)x] with SiO2 ranging from 0 to 15 wt % were prepared by a solvent casting procedure. TG measurements demonstrated that the membranes are thermally stable up to 170 degrees C but with the loss water it changes the cluster environments and changes the conductivity properties. MDSC investigations in the 90-300 degrees C temperature range revealed the presence of three intense overlapping endothermal peaks indicated as I, II, and III. Peak I measures the order-disorder molecular rearrangement in hydrophilic polar clusters, II corresponds to the endothermic decomposition of -SO3 groups, and III describes the melting process in microcrystalline regions of hydrophobic fluorocarbon domains of the Nafion moiety. ESEM with EDAX measurements revealed that the membranes are homogeneous materials with smooth surfaces. DMA studies allowed us to measure two relaxation modes. The mechanical relaxation detected at ca. 100 degrees C is attributed to the motion of cluster aggregates of side chains and is diagnostic for R-SO3H...SiO2 nanocluster interactions. DMA disclosed that at SiO2/-SO3H (psi) molar ratios lower than 1.9, the oxoclusters act to restrict chain mobility of hydrophobic domains of Nafion and the dynamics inside polar cages of [Nafion/(SiO2)x] systems; at psi higher than 1.9, the oxoclusters reduce the cohesiveness of hydrophilic polar domains owing to a reduction in the density of cross-links. FT-IR and FT-Raman studies of the [Nafion/(SiO2)x] membranes indicated that the fluorocarbon chains of Nafion hydrophobic domains assume the typical helical conformation structure with a D(14pi/15) symmetry. These analyses revealed four different species of water domains embedded inside polar cages and their interconnecting channels: (a) bulk water [(H2O)n]; (b) water solvating the oxonium ions directly interacting with sulfonic acid groups [H3O+...SO3(-)-].(H2O)n; (c) water aggregates associated with H3O+ ions [H3O+.(H2O)n]; and (d) low associated water species in dimer form [(H2O)2]. The conductivity mechanism and relaxation events were investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). [Nafion/(SiO2)x] nanocomposite membranes were found to possess two different molecular relaxation phenomena which are associated with the alpha-relaxation mode of PTFE-like fluorocarbon domains and the beta-relaxation mode of acid side groups of the Nafion component. Owing to their strong coupling, both these relaxation modes are diagnostic for the interactions between the polar groups of the Nafion host polymer and the (SiO2)x oxoclusters and play a determining role in the conductivity mechanism of the membranes. The studies support the proposal that long-range proton charge transfer in [Nafion/(SiO2)x] composites takes place due to a mechanism involving exchange of the proton between the four water domains. This latter proton transfer occurs owing to a subsequent combination of domain intersections resulting from the water domain fluctuations induced by the molecular relaxation events of host Nafion polymer.

Diversifying biological fuel cell designs by use of nanoporous filters

The use of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in biological fuel cells limits the diversity of novel designs for increasing output power or enabling autonomous function in unique environments. Here we show that selected nanoporous polymer filters (nylon, cellulose, or polycarbonate) can be used effectively in place of PEMs in a miniature microbial fuel cell (mini-MFC, device cross-section 2 cm2), generating a power density of 16 W/m3 with an uncoated graphite felt oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cathode. The incorporation of polycarbonate or nylon membranes into biological fuel cell designs produced comparable power and durability to Nafion-117 membranes. Also, high power densities for novel larger (5 cm3 anode volume, 0.6 W/m3) and smaller (0.025 cm3 projected geometric volume, average power density 10 W/m3) chamberless and pumpless microbial fuel cells were observed. As an additional benefit, the nanoporous membranes isolated the anode from invading natural bacteria, increasing the potential applications for MFCs beyond aquatic sediment environments. This work is a practical solution for decreasing the cost of biological fuel cells while incorporating new features for powering long-term autonomous devices.

Dynamics of H2O and Na+ in Nafion Membranes

We investigate the transport properties of a model of a hydrated Na-Nafion membrane using molecular dynamics simulations. The system consists of several Nafion chains forming a pore with the water and ions inside. At low water content, the hydrophilic domain is not continuous and diffusion is very slow. The diffusion coefficient of both water and Na+ increases with increasing hydration (more strongly so for Na+). The simulations are in qualitative agreement with experimental results for similar systems. The diffusion coefficient is an average over the motion of ions or water molecules located in different environments. To better understand the role of the environment, we calculate the distribution of the residence times of the ion (or water) at different locations in the system. We discuss the transport mechanism in light of this information.

Power generation using different cation, anion, and ultrafiltration membranes in microbial fuel cells

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are often used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to separate the liquid in the anode and cathode chambers while allowing protons to pass between the chambers. However, negatively or positively charged species present at high concentrations in the medium can also be used to maintain charge balance during power generation. An anion exchange membrane (AEM) produced the largest power density (up to 610 mW/m2) and Coulombic efficiency (72%) in MFCs relative to values achieved with a commonly used PEM (Nafion), a cation exchange membrane (CEM), or three different ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with molecular weight cut offs of 0.5K, 1K, and 3K Daltons in different types of MFCs. The increased performance of the AEM was due to proton charge-transfer facilitated by phosphate anions and low internal resistance. The type of membrane affected maximum power densities in two-chamber, air-cathode cube MFCs (C-MFCs) with low internal resistance (84-91 omega for all membranes except UF-0.5K) but not in two-chamber aqueous-cathode bottle MFCs (B-MFCs) due to their higher internal resistances (1230-1272 omega except UF-0.5K). The UF-0.5K membrane produced very high internal resistances (6009 omega, B-MFC; 1814omega, C-MFC) and was the least permeable to both oxygen (mass transfer coefficient of k(O) = 0.19 x 10(-4) cm/s) and acetate (k(A) = 0.89 x 10(-8) cm/s). Nafion was the most permeable membrane to oxygen (k(O) = 1.3 x 10(-4) cm/s), and the UF-3K membrane was the most permeable to acetate (k(A) = 7.2 x 10(-8) cm/s). Only a small percent of substrate was unaccounted for based on measured Coulombic efficiencies and estimates of biomass production and substrate losses using Nafion, CEM, and AEM membranes (4-8%), while a substantial portion of substrate was lost to unidentified processes for the UF membranes (40-89%). These results show that many types of membranes can be used in two-chambered MFCs, even membranes that transfer negatively charged species.

Formation and evaluation of electrochemically-active ultra-thin palladium–Nafion nanocomposite films

A simple method for producing electrochemically-active palladium nanoparticles within ultra-thin Nafion films is described.

The influence of membrane electrode assembly water content on the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell as investigated by 1H NMR microscopy

The relation between the performance of a self-humidifying H(2)/O(2) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell and the amount and distribution of water as observed using (1)H NMR microscopy was investigated. The integrated (1)H NMR image signal intensity (proportional to water content) from the region of the polymer electrolyte membrane between the catalyst layers was found to correlate well with the power output of the fuel cell. Several examples are provided which demonstrate the sensitivity of the (1)H NMR image intensity to the operating conditions of the fuel cell. Changes in the O(2)(g) flow rate cause predictable trends in both the power density and the image intensity. Higher power densities, achieved by decreasing the resistance of the external circuit, were found to increase the water in the PEM. An observed plateau of both the power density and the integrated (1)H NMR image signal intensity from the membrane electrode assembly and subsequent decline of the power density is postulated to result from the accumulation of H(2)O(l) in the gas diffusion layer and cathode flow field. The potential of using (1)H NMR microscopy to obtain the absolute water content of the polymer electrolyte membrane is discussed and several recommendations for future research are provided.

Proton conductivity in the dry membrane of poly(sulfonic acid) and polyamine layer-by-layer complex

A layer-by-layer assembled and molecular-complexed polymer membrane was prepared by the simple combination of poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) and poly(allylamine) on a comb-shaped gold electrode: it displayed a very high proton conductivity of 10(-3) S cm(-1) under a dry condition at 120 degrees C.

Inorganic−Organic Hybrid Membranes with Anhydrous Proton Conduction Prepared from 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane and Sulfuric Acid by the Sol−Gel Method

Inorganic-organic hybrid membranes with anhydrous proton conduction were prepared from 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and H2SO4 by the sol-gel method. The membrane has a unique structure: a hexagonal phase formed by the stacking of rodlike polysiloxanes with ion complexes of ammonium groups and HSO4- extruded outside. The membranes showed high conductivity of 2 x 10-3 S cm-1 at 200 degrees C under dry atmosphere. In the membrane, protons probably migrate through the outside of the rodlike polysiloxanes along hydrogen-bond chains formed among HSO4- anions.

Measurement of apparent diffusion coefficients within ultrathin nafion Langmuir-Schaefer films: comparison of a novel scanning electrochemical microscopy approach with cyclic voltammetry

The use of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient, Dapp, of redox-active species in ultrathin Nafion films is described. In this technique, an ultramicroelectrode (UME) tip, positioned close to a film on a macroscopic electrode, is used to oxidize (or reduce) a species in bulk solution, causing the tip-generated oxidant (reductant) to diffuse to the film/solution interface. The oxidation (reduction) of film-confined species regenerates the reductant (oxidant) in solution, leading to feedback to the UME. A numerical model is developed that allows Dapp to be determined. For these studies, ultrathin films of Nafion were prepared using the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) technique and loaded with an electroactive species, either the ferrocene derivative ferrocenyltrimethylammonium cation, FA+, or tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II), Ru(bpy)32+. The morphology and the thickness of the Nafion LS films (1.5 +/- 0.2 nm per layer deposited) were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For comparison with the SECM measurements, cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to evaluate the concentration of electroactive species within the Nafion LS films and to determine Dapp. The latter was found to be essentially invariant with film thickness, but the value for Ru(bpy)32+ was 1 order of magnitude larger than for FA+. CV and SECM measurements yield different values of Dapp, and the underlying reasons are discussed. In general, the Dapp values for these films are considerably smaller than for recast Nafion films, which can be attributed to the compactness of Nafion LS films. Nonetheless, the ultrathin nature of the films leads to fast response times, and we thus expect that these modified electrodes could find applications in sensing, electroanalysis, and electrocatalysis.

Hydration and Interfacial Water in Nafion Membrane Probed by Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy was applied to probe water inside pores and channels of Nafion membrane exchanged with either proton (H+) or sodium ions (Na+). Transmission measurements were performed on freestanding Nafion 112 (approximately 50 microm thickness) in a cell that enabled adjustment of the relative humidity. Experiments that employed Na+-exchanged Nafion focused on relative humidity environments at or below about 32% generated through the use of humectants. Under these conditions, narrow features in the O-H stretching spectral region near 3650-3720 cm(-1), previously attributed to interfacial water, were detected and matched to bands in vibrational sum frequency (VSF) spectra of water/air, water/organic, and salt-solution/air interfaces. The features correspond to the stretching mode of the "free" OH group of water oriented with one hydrogen atom toward other water molecules and interacting through hydrogen bonding and the other straddling the interface extending into fluorocarbon-rich regions (approximately 3668 cm(-1)) or air-filled segments (approximately 3700 cm(-1)) in the membrane. For membrane exchanged with H+, -SO3- groups were easily shifted to -SO3H as water was removed upon exposure to a few Torr of vacuum at 95 degrees C. In contrast, residual water was retained by membrane exchanged with Na+ after exposure to these conditions for up to 72 h. The permeation of methanol and acetone into Na+-exchanged Nafion 112 was also examined. The C-H and O-H stretching modes of methanol were perturbed in a manner that suggests the polymer disrupts hydrogen bonding interactions within the solvent, similar to the effect it exerts on pure water. For acetone, the C-H stretching modes were not shifted appreciably compared to those of the bulk liquid. However, the carbonyl band was affected, indicating the likely importance of dipolar interactions between solvent molecules and polar groups on the polymer. Control experiments performed with poly(hexafluoropropylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (FEP) membrane did not show evidence for water or methanol permeation, which demonstrates the critical role played by the ion-filled channels and pores in facilitating solvent transport within Nafion membrane.

Membrane-dependent oligomeric structure and pore formation of a beta-hairpin antimicrobial peptide in lipid bilayers from solid-state NMR

We used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to investigate the oligomeric structure and insertion of protegrin-1 (PG-1), a beta-hairpin antimicrobial peptide, in lipid bilayers that mimic either the bacterial inner membrane [palmitoyloleoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylglycerol (POPE/POPG) bilayers] or the red blood cell membrane [neutral palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC)/cholesterol bilayers]. (1)H spin diffusion from lipids to the peptide indicates that PG-1 contacts both the lipid acyl chains and the headgroups in the anionic membrane but resides far from the lipid chains in the POPC/cholesterol bilayer. (19)F spin diffusion data indicates that 75% of the beta-hairpins have homodimerized N strands and C strands in the anionic membrane. The resulting (NCCN)(n) multimer suggests a membrane-inserted beta-barrel enclosing a water pore. The lipids surrounding the beta-barrel have high orientational disorder and chain upturns, thus they may act as fillers for the pore. These results revise several features of the toroidal pore model, first proposed for magainin and subsequently applied to PG-1. In the POPC/cholesterol membrane, the N and C strands of PG-1 cluster into tetramers, suggesting the formation of beta-sheets on the membrane surface. Thus, the membrane composition plays a decisive role in defining the assembly and insertion of PG-1. The different oligomeric structures of PG-1 help to explain its greater toxicity for bacteria than for eukaryotic cells.

Ab Initio Prediction of the Gas- and Solution-Phase Acidities of Strong Brønsted Acids: The Calculation of pKa Values Less Than −10

The intrinsic gas-phase acidities of a series of 21 Brønsted acids have been predicted with G3(MP2) theory. The G3(MP2) results agree with high level CCSD(T)/CBS acidities for H(2)SO(4), FSO(3)H, CH(3)SO(3)H, and CF(3)SO(3)H to within 1 kcal/mol. The G3(MP2) results are in excellent agreement with experimental gas-phase acidities in the range 342-302 kcal/mol to within <1 kcal/mol for 14 out of 15 acids. Five of the six acids in the range of 302-289 kcal/mol had an average deviation of 5.5 kcal/mol and the strongest acid, (CF(3)SO(2))(3)CH, deviated by 15.0 kcal/mol. These high-level calculations strongly suggest that the experimental acidities in this very acidic part of the scale need to be remeasured. The CCSD(T)/CBS (mixed exponential Gaussian) additive approach for CH(3)CO(2)H, HNO(3), H(2)SO(4), CH(3)SO(3)H, FSO(3)H, and CF(3)SO(3)H gives excellent agreement (+/-1 kcal/mol) with experiment for the DeltaH(f)(0)'s of non-sulfur containing species, and supports the low end of the experimental values for H(2)SO(4) and FSO(3)H. Use of a larger basis set (aug-cc-pV5Z) in the CBS extrapolation improves the agreement with experiment for both H(2)SO(4) and FSO(3)H. The G3(MP2) heats of formation for RSO(3)H molecules tend to be underestimated as compared to the CCSD(T)/CBS approach by 2.5-7.0 kcal/mol. COSMO solvation calculations were used to predict solution free energies and pK(a) values with pK(a)'s up to -17.4. Including the solvation of the proton gives good agreement with experimental pK(a) values in the very acidic regime, whereas it is less reliable for weaker acids. The use of CH(3)CO(2)H and HNO(3) as reference acids in the less acidic and more acidic regions of the scale, respectively, provided improved results to within +/-2 pK(a) units in nearly all cases (+/-3 kcal/mol accuracy).

Hydrated Arrays of Acidic Surface Groups as Model Systems for Interfacial Structure and Mechanisms in PEMs

We utilize ab initio quantum mechanical calculations in order to explore structural conformations and cooperative mechanisms at a minimally hydrated 2D array of flexible acidic surface groups. This system serves as a model for rationalizing interactions and correlations of protons and water with ionized side chains that are affixed to hydrophobic polymer aggregates in polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs). The model exhibits two basic minimum energy configurations upon varying the separation of surface groups from 5 to 12 A. In the "upright" structure at small separation, surface groups are fully dissociated and oriented perpendicular to the basal plane. Together with hydronium ions (H3O+) they form a highly ordered network with long-range correlations. At larger separations we found the transition to a "tilted" structure with cluster-like conformation of surface groups. This structure retains only short-range correlations. Moreover, we investigated the strength of water binding to the minimally hydrated structures. At small separations between surface groups, an additional water molecule interacts only weakly with the minimally hydrated array (binding energy < 0.1 eV) while the energy needed to remove one water molecule exceeds 1 eV. This shows that the minimally hydrated systems are very stable. Ideally, these studies would expedite the design of cheap, highly performing PEMs for fuel cells, with a major focus on membranes that could operate stably at minimal hydration and elevated temperatures (>120 degrees C).

Insights into the Distribution of Water in a Self-Humidifying H2/O2 Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using 1H NMR Microscopy

Proton ((1)H) NMR microscopy is used to investigate in-situ the distribution of water throughout a self-humidifying proton-exchange membrane fuel cell, PEMFC, operating at ambient temperature and pressure on dry H(2)(g) and O(2)(g). The results provide the first experimental images of the in-plane distribution of water within the PEM of a membrane electrode assembly in an operating fuel cell. The effect of gas flow configuration on the distribution of water in the PEM and cathode flow field is investigated, revealing that the counter-flow configurations yield a more uniform distribution of water throughout the PEM. The maximum power output from the PEMFC, while operating under conditions of constant external load, occurs when H(2)O(l) is first visible in the (1)H NMR image of the cathode flow field, and subsequently declines as this H(2)O(l) continues to accumulate. The (1)H NMR microscopy experiments are in qualitative agreement with predictions from several theoretical modeling studies (e.g., Pasaogullari, U.; Wang, C. Y. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2005, 152, A380-A390), suggesting that combined theoretical and experimental approaches will constitute a powerful tool for PEMFC design, diagnosis, and optimization.

Formation of Silver Nanoparticles in Poly(perfluorosulfonic) Acid Membrane

The formation of silver nanoparticles by chemical reduction of Ag+-loaded Nafion-117 membrane with NaBH4 was studied using radioactivity tagged ions. The counterion-exchange method (Ag(m)+ <--> Na(s)+) was used to obtain a membrane sample with a varying proportion of Ag+ ions. The X-ray elemental mapping across the thickness of the membrane by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer attached to the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM/EDAX) indicated that Na+ and Ag+ were uniformly distributed in the membrane samples before reduction. The average size of nanoparticles formed after reduction was found to be 15 +/- 3 nm, irrespective of the concentration of silver ions present in the membrane before reduction. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analyses of the membrane samples, carried out before and after reduction, indicated that the Ag concentration on the membrane surface was considerably increased after reduction. EDXRF measurements of the membrane samples, obtained from reduction carried out in a dead end cell, indicated that Ag nanoparticles were formed only on the membrane surface exposed to NaBH4 solution. Reduction carried out with NaBH4 tagged with 22Na showed that the formation of Ag nanoparticles involved exchange of Ag+ ions from ion-exchange sites in the interior of the membrane with Na+ ions, followed by reduction of Ag+ ions with BH4- ions at the surface of membrane. The study of self-diffusion of water, Na+, and Cs+ ions in the membrane loaded with Ag nanoparticles indicated that formation of Ag nanoparticles did not affect the diffusional transport properties of the membrane. The ion-exchange capacity and water uptake capacity were also not affected by the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the membrane. The spatial distribution of Ag nanoparticles across the thickness of the membrane obtained by ESEM/EDAX showed that Ag nanoparticles were confined to a few-micrometer surface layer of the membrane. Based on these observations, an attempt has been made to explain the mechanism of the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the membrane.