期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:2019
卷号:116
期号:20
页码:9729-9734
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1900988116
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:Alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs) are an important component of alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), which facilitate the efficient conversion of fuels to electricity using nonplatinum electrode catalysts. However, low hydroxide conductivity and poor long-term alkaline stability of AAEMs are the major limitations for the widespread application of AEMFCs. In this paper, we report the synthesis of highly conductive and chemically stable AAEMs from the living polymerization of trans -cyclooctenes. A trans -cyclooctene–fused imidazolium monomer was designed and synthesized on gram scale. Using these highly ring-strained monomers, we produced a range of block and random copolymers. Surprisingly, AAEMs made from the random copolymer exhibited much higher conductivities than their block copolymer analogs. Investigation by transmission electron microscopy showed that the block copolymers had a disordered microphase segregation which likely impeded ion conduction. A cross-linked random copolymer demonstrated a high level of hydroxide conductivity (134 mS/cm at 80 °C). More importantly, the membranes exhibited excellent chemical stability due to the incorporation of highly alkaline-stable multisubstituted imidazolium cations. No chemical degradation was detected by 1H NMR spectroscopy when the polymers were treated with 2 M KOH in CD3OH at 80 °C for 30 d.
关键词:alkaline anion exchange membrane ; trans -cyclooctene ; block and random copolymer ; cross-linked polymer ; transmission electron microscopy