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Novel Proton Conducting Membranes from the Combination of Sulfonated Polymers of Polyetheretherketones and Polyphosphazenes Doped with Sulfonated Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Author(s) -
Luo Tianwei,
Xu Hulin,
Li Zhong,
Gao Shuitao,
Ouadah Amina,
Zhang Zeyu,
Zhang Yanxia,
Wang Fang,
Jing Chaojun,
Zhu Changjin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.201700095
Subject(s) - materials science , membrane , nafion , polymer chemistry , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , polymer , polyphosphazene , ether , phosphazene , conductivity , copolymer , ultimate tensile strength , chemical engineering , carbon nanotube , composite material , organic chemistry , electrochemistry , chemistry , biochemistry , electrode , engineering
Intent on developing efficient proton exchange membranes used for direct methanol fuel cells as well as hydrogen fuel cells, a series of membranes based on sulfonated polyetheretherketone and sulfonated polyphosphazene‐graft copolymers is prepared by cross‐linking reaction because the former material has good enough mechanical property, while the latter is excellent in the proton transfer. The cross‐linked membranes combine the advantages of the two kinds of polymers. Among them, the membrane poly[(4‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)(4‐methylphenoxy)phosphazene]‐g‐poly {(styrene) 11 ‐r‐[4‐(4‐sulfobutyloxy)styrene] 33 ‐sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)75 (CF 3 ‐PS 11 ‐PSBOS 33 ‐SPEEK75) shows a proton conductivity at 0.143 S cm −1 under fully hydrated conditions at 80 °C and performs tensile strength about five times as much as did the sulfonated polyphosphazene membrane CF 3 ‐PS 11 ‐PSBOS 33 . Further doping of sulfonated single‐walled carbon nanotubes (S‐SWCNTs) into the cross‐linked membranes on the screening of additives gives composite membrane CF 3 ‐PS 11 ‐PSBOS 33 ‐SPEEK75‐SWCNT possessing proton conductivity of 0.196 S cm −1 , even higher than that of Nafion 117 and a tensile strength comparable to that of Nafion 117. However, this significance of the composite membrane in the proton conduction is not observed in the test with a H 2 /air fuel cell when it shows a maximal power density of 280 mW cm −2 at 80 °C, whereas 294 mW cm −2 is observed for CF 3 ‐PS 11 ‐PSBOS 33 ‐SPEEK75.