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Composite membranes of chitosan and titania‐coated carbon nanotubes as promising materials for new proton‐exchange membranes
Author(s) -
Liu Hai,
Wang Jie,
Wen Sheng,
Gong Chunli,
Cheng Fan,
Wang Guangjin,
Zheng Genwen,
Qin Caiqin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.43365
Subject(s) - membrane , chitosan , materials science , thermal stability , carbon nanotube , chemical engineering , composite number , dispersion (optics) , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , nanocomposite , polymer chemistry , composite material , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , optics , engineering
Titania‐coated carbon nanotubes (TCNTs) were obtained by a simple sol–gel method. Then chitosan/TCNT (CS/TCNT) composite membranes were prepared by stirring chitosan/acetic acid and a TCNT/ethanol suspension. The morphology, thermal and oxidative stabilities, water uptake and proton conductivity, and mechanical properties of CS/TCNT composite membranes were investigated. The CNTs coated with an insulated and hydrophilic titania layer eliminated the risk of electronic short‐circuiting. Moreover, the titania layer enhanced the interaction between TCNTs and chitosan to ensure the homogenous dispersion of TCNTs in the chitosan matrix. The water uptake of CS/TCNT composite membranes was reduced owing to the decrease of the effective number of the NH 2 functional groups of chitosan. However, the CS/TCNT composite membranes exhibited better performance than a pure CS membrane in thermal and oxidative stability, proton conductivity, and mechanical properties. These results suggest that CS/TCNT composite membranes are promising materials for new proton‐exchange membranes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 43365.