Influence of Chemical Structure on Hydration and Gas Transport Mechanisms of Sulfonated Poly(aryl ether ketone) Membranes

Poly(para-phenylene) ionomer membranes: effect of methyl and trifluoromethyl substituents

Poly(para-phenylene sulfonic acid) containing CF3 groups exhibits thin membrane forming capability, high proton conductivity, mechanical strength, gas barrier properties, and chemical stability as a proton conductive membrane.

Synthesis and investigation of sulfonated poly(p-phenylene)-based ionomers with precisely controlled ion exchange capacity for use as polymer electrolyte membranes

To achieve precise control of sulfonated polymer structures, a series of poly(p-phenylene)-based ionomers with well-controlled ion exchange capacities (IECs) were synthesised via a three-step technique: (1) preceding sulfonation of the monomer with a protecting group, (2) nickel(0) catalysed coupling polymerisation, and (3) cleavage of the protecting group of the polymers. 2,2-Dimethylpropyl-4-[4-(2,5-dichlorobenzoyl)phenoxy]benzenesulfonate (NS-DPBP) was synthesised as the preceding sulfonated monomer by treatment with chlorosulfuric acid and neopentyl alcohol. NS-DPBP was readily soluble in various organic solvents and stable during the nickel(0) catalysed coupling reaction. Sulfonated poly(4-phenoxybenzoyl-1,4-phenylene) (S-PPBP) homopolymer and seven types of random copolymers (S-PPBP-co-PPBP) with different IECs were obtained by varying the stoichiometry of NS-DPBP. The IECs and weight average molecular weights (M_ws) of ionomers were in the range of 0.41–2.84 meq. g⁻¹ and 143 000–465 000 g mol⁻¹, respectively. The water uptake, proton conductivities, and water diffusion properties of ionomers exhibited a strong IEC dependence. Upon increasing the IEC of S-PPBP-co-PPBPs from 0.86 to 2.40 meq. g⁻¹, the conductivities increased from 6.9 × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ to 1.8 × 10⁻¹ S cm⁻¹ at 90% RH. S-PPBP and S-PPBP-co-PPBP (4 : 1) with IEC values >2.40 meq. g⁻¹ exhibited fast water diffusion (1.6 × 10⁻¹¹ to 8.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹), and were comparable to commercial perfluorosulfuric acid polymers. When fully hydrated, the maximum power density and the limiting current density of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) prepared with S-PPBP-co-PPBP (4 : 1) were 712 mW cm⁻² and 1840 mA cm⁻², respectively.

Poly(p-phenylene)-based sulfonated polymers with well-controlled IECs were synthesized via a three-step procedure including preceding sulfonation of precursor monomers.

Investigations of the humidity sensing properties of side-chain-type sulfonated poly (arylene ether ketone)s

Side-chain-type sulfonated poly (arylene ether ketone)s containing naphthalene moieties with a degree of sulfonation (Ds) from 0.2 to 1.9 were synthesized. Humidity sensors were fabricated by cast coating on silver–palladium interdigital microelectrodes. The properties of this series of materials in terms of water absorption, glass transition temperature, and humidity sensing were characterized in detail. The investigations on the humidity sensing performance showed that with the increase in the Ds, the hysteresis of our materials exhibits an increasing trend first, followed by a decrease. This special phenomenon has not been reported before and caught our attention. From the results of humidity sensing properties, among the materials, the one with 0.2 Ds is promising for applications in humidity sensing due to its small hysteresis and fast response to varied relative humidity (RH). For a better understanding of the humidity sensing behavior of the sensor, complex impedance spectra were also measured. In the long-term stability measurement, the deviation of the measured impedance of the sensor at 97% RH is not obvious, proving good stability in a humid environment.