Synthesis of guanidinium-based anion exchange membranes and their stability assessment

Preparation and Characterization of QPVA/PDDA Electrospun Nanofiber Anion Exchange Membranes for Alkaline Fuel Cells

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) as part of fuel cell technology. Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) provide a significant contribution to the development of fuel cells, particularly in terms of performance and efficiency. Polymer composite membranes composed of quaternary ammonium poly(vinyl alcohol) (QPVA) as electrospun nanofiber mats and a combination of QPVA and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as interfiber voids matrix filler were prepared and characterized. The influence of various QPVA/PDDA mass ratios as matrix fillers on anion exchange membranes and alkaline fuel cells was evaluated. The structural, morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties of AEMs were characterized. To evaluate the AEMs' performances, several measurements comprise swelling properties, ion exchange capacity (IEC), hydroxide conductivity (σ), alkaline stability, and single-cell test in fuel cells. The eQP-PDD_0.5 acquired the highest hydroxide conductivity of 43.67 ms cm^-1 at 80 °C. The tensile strength of the membranes rose with the incorporation of the filler matrix, with TS ranging from 23.18 to 24.95 Mpa. The peak power density and current density of 24 mW cm^-2 and 131 mA cm^-2 were achieved with single cells comprising eQP-PDD_0.5 membrane at 57 °C.

A Brief Review of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Anion Exchange Membranes for Alkaline Fuel Cells

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells have unique advantages and are thus gaining increasing attention. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is one of the potential polymers for the development of anion exchange membranes. This review provides recent studies on PVA-based membranes as alternative anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cells. The development of anion exchange membranes in general, including the types, materials, and preparation of anion exchange membranes in the last years, are discussed. The performances and characteristics of recently reported PVA-based membranes are highlighted, including hydroxide conductivity, water uptake, swelling degree, tensile strength, and fuel permeabilities. Finally, some challenging issues and perspectives for the future study of anion exchange membranes are discussed.

Prospects for Anion-Exchange Membranes in Alkali Metal–Air Batteries

Rechargeable alkali metal–air batteries have enormous potential in energy storage applications due to their high energy densities, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Membrane separators determine the performance and economic viability of these batteries. Usually, porous membrane separators taken from lithium-based batteries are used. Moreover, composite and cation-exchange membranes have been tested. However, crossover of unwanted species (such as zincate ions in zinc–air flow batteries) and/or low hydroxide ions conductivity are major issues to be overcome. On the other hand, state-of-art anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) have been applied to meet the current challenges with regard to rechargeable zinc–air batteries, which have received the most attention among alkali metal–air batteries. The recent advances and remaining challenges of AEMs for these batteries are critically discussed in this review. Correlation between the properties of the AEMs and performance and cyclability of the batteries is discussed. Finally, strategies for overcoming the remaining challenges and future outlooks on the topic are briefly provided. We believe this paper will play a significant role in promoting R&D on developing suitable AEMs with potential applications in alkali metal–air flow batteries.

Functionalized Anion-Exchange Membranes Facilitate Electrodialysis of Citrate and Phosphate from Model Dairy Wastewater

In this study, the preparation of a new, functional anion-exchange membrane (AEM), containing guanidinium groups as the anion-exchanging sites (Gu-100), is described as well as the membrane characterization by XPS, water uptake, permselectivities, and electrical resistances. The functional membrane was also employed in pH-dependent electrodialysis experiments using model dairy wastewater streams. The properties of the new membrane are compared to those of a commercially available anion-exchange membrane bearing conventional quaternary ammonium groups (Gu-0). Guanidinium was chosen for its specific binding properties toward oxyanions: e.g., phosphate. This functional moiety was covalently coupled to an acrylate monomer via a facile two-step synthesis to yield bulk-modified membranes upon polymerization. Significant differences were observed in the electrodialysis experiments for Gu-0 and Gu-100 at pH 7, showing an enhanced phosphate and citrate transport for Gu-100 in comparison to Gu-0. At pH 10 the difference is much more pronounced: for Gu-0 membranes almost no phosphate and citrate transport could be detected, while the Gu-100 membranes transported both ions significantly. We conclude that having guanidinium groups as anion-exchange sites improves the selectivity of AEMs. As the presented monomer synthesis strategy is modular, we consider the implementation of functional groups into a polymer-based membrane via the synthesis of tailor-made monomers as an important step toward selective ion transport, which is relevant for various fields, including water treatment processes and fuel cells.

Improved Physicochemical Stability and High Ion Transportation of Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone) Blocks Containing a Fluorinated Hydrophobic Part for Anion Exchange Membrane Applications

A series of anion exchange membranes composed of partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (PAESs) multiblock copolymers bearing quaternary ammonium groups were synthesized with controlled lengths of the hydrophilic precursor and hydrophobic oligomer via direct polycondensation. The chloromethylation and quaternization proceeded well by optimizing the reaction conditions to improve hydroxide conductivity and physical stability, and the fabricated membranes were very flexible and transparent. Atomic force microscope images of quaternized PAES (QN-PAES) membranes showed excellent hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase separation and distinct ion transition channels. An extended architecture of phase separation was observed by increasing the hydrophilic oligomer length, which resulted in significant improvements in the water uptake, ion exchange capacity, and hydroxide conductivity. Furthermore, the open circuit voltage (OCV) of QN-PAES X10Y23 and X10Y13 was found to be above 0.9 V, and the maximum power density of QN-PAES X10Y13 was 131.7 mW cm-2 at 60 °C under 100% RH.

Synthesis of novel copolymers based on p-methylstyrene, N,N-butylvinylimidazolium and polybenzimidazole as highly conductive anion exchange membranes for fuel cell application

A series of copolymers based N,N-butylvinylimidazolium, p-methylstyrene and polybenzimidazole as anion exchange membrane materials VIBx/PMSy/PBIz.

A New Alkali-Stable Phosphonium Cation Based on Fundamental Understanding of Degradation Mechanisms

Highly alkali-stable cationic groups are a critical component of hydroxide exchange membranes (HEMs). To search for such cations, we studied the degradation kinetics and mechanisms of a series of quaternary phosphonium (QP) cations. Benzyl tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium [BTPP-(2,4,6-MeO)] was determined to have higher alkaline stability than the benchmark cation, benzyl trimethylammonium (BTMA). A multi-step methoxy-triggered degradation mechanism for BTPP-(2,4,6-MeO) was proposed and verified. By replacing methoxy substituents with methyl groups, a superior QP cation, methyl tris(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)phosphonium [MTPP-(2,4,6-Me)] was developed. MTPP-(2,4,6-Me) is one of the most stable cations reported to date, with <20 % degradation after 5000 h at 80 °C in a 1 m KOD in CD3 OD/D2 O (5:1 v/v) solution.

Tetrakis(dialkylamino)phosphonium Polyelectrolytes Prepared by Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

A tetrakis(dialkylamino)phosphonium cation ([P(NR₂)₄]⁺) was appended to a styrenic monomer and explored in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) to conduct random copolymerizations of the cationic monomer with styrene. Well-defined polyelectrolytes with molecular weights up to ∼30 100 and dispersities between ∼1.2 and 1.4 were obtained. Up to 18.9 mol % of the ionic monomer could be incorporated into the polymer with hexafluorophosphate or bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide acting as the counterion during polymerization. Differential scanning calorimetry of the hexafluorophosphate polymers revealed glass transition temperatures higher than polystyrene likely due to interactions between the anion and the polymer. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated these materials have high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures approaching 400 °C.

The chemistry and biology of guanidine natural products

The present review discusses the isolation, structure determination, synthesis, biosynthesis and biological activities of secondary metabolites bearing a guanidine group.

A review on recent developments of anion exchange membranes for fuel cells and redox flow batteries

This review covers recent advancements and future perspectives of AEMs for energy conversion and storage systems such as fuel cells and redox flow batteries.