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Hybrid anion exchange membranes with adjustable ion transport channels designed by compounding SEBS and homo‐polystyrene
Author(s) -
Shi Yue,
Meng Fanzhi,
Zhao Zhongfu,
Liu Wei,
Zhang Chunqing
Publication year - 2021
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.50540
Subject(s) - membrane , copolymer , polystyrene , materials science , ion exchange , styrene , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , ionic bonding , swelling , lamella (surface anatomy) , dynamic mechanical analysis , chemistry , polymer , ion , composite material , organic chemistry , biochemistry , engineering
Hybrid anion exchange membranes (AEMs) were prepared via chemically functionalizing and crosslinking poly(styrene‐b‐[ethylene‐co‐butylene]‐b‐styrene) (SEBS) copolymers and low molecular weight homo‐polystyrene (hPS). Via sequential chloromethylation, crosslinking, quaternization, and alkalization, a series of hPS/SEBS AEMs were obtained with varying content of hPS. Systematic structural, morphological, mechanical, absorption, and transport measurements reveal that these properties depend on the total PS content in the membranes. Particularly, increasing total PS content causes (a) PS domains in the AEMs transition the cylindrical morphology to lamella‐like morphology with comparable correlation length; (b) Young's modulus, water uptake, swelling ratio, ionic exchange capacity and ionic conductivity of the AEMs, and T g of PS phase increase. In addition, the alkaline stability of the hPS/SEBS AEMs is also improved by addition of hPS. These findings suggest that the proposed method can develop high performance SEBS AEMs that are suitable for fuel cell applications.