1
|
Abouzari-Lotf E, Jacob MV, Ghassemi H, Zakeri M, Nasef MM, Abdolahi Y, Abbasi A, Ahmad A. Highly conductive anion exchange membranes based on polymer networks containing imidazolium functionalised side chains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3764. [PMID: 33580110 PMCID: PMC7881124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83161-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Two novel types of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) having imidazolium-type functionalised nanofibrous substrates were prepared using the facile and potentially scalable method. The membranes' precursors were prepared by graft copolymerization of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) onto syndiotactic polypropylene (syn-PP) and polyamide-66 (PA-66) nanofibrous networks followed by crosslinking with 1,8-octanediamine, thermal treatment and subsequent functionalisation of imidazolium groups. The obtained membranes displayed an ion exchange capacity (IEC) close to 1.9 mmol g-1 and ionic (OH-) conductivity as high as 130 mS cm-1 at 80 °C. This was coupled with a reasonable alkaline stability representing more than 70% of their original conductivity under accelerated degradation test in 1 M KOH at 80 °C for 360 h. The effect of ionomer binder on the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in AEM fuel cell was evaluated with the optimum membrane. The MEA showed a power density of as high as 440 mW cm-2 at a current density is 910 mA cm-2 with diamine crosslinked quaternized polysulfone (DAPSF) binder at 80 °C with 90% humidified H2 and O2 gases. Such performance was 2.3 folds higher than the corresponding MEA performance with quaternary ammonium polysulfone (QAPS) binder at the same operating conditions. Overall, the newly developed membrane was found to possess not only an excellent combination of physico-chemical properties and a reasonable stability but also to have a facile preparation procedure and cheap ingredients making it a promising candidate for application in AEM fuel cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim Abouzari-Lotf
- Advanced Materials Research Group, Center of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) Electrochemical Energy Storage, Helmholtzstraße 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Mohan V Jacob
- Electronics Materials Lab., College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Hossein Ghassemi
- Department of Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106-7202, USA
| | - Masoumeh Zakeri
- Advanced Materials Research Group, Center of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohamed Mahmoud Nasef
- Advanced Materials Research Group, Center of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Yadollah Abdolahi
- Nano Chemical Engineering Department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Abbasi
- Advanced Materials for Energy Storage, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arshad Ahmad
- Advanced Materials Research Group, Center of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|