Multication Side Chain Anion Exchange Membranes

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02671
• Publication Date: 2016-01-25T18:45:43Z
• Authors: Liang Zhu; Jing Pan; Ying Wang; Juanjuan Han; Lin Zhuang; Michael A. Hickner
• Keywords: Side chain

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have been developed as promising energy conversion devices for stationary and mobile applications due to their potentially low cost. To realize high-performance AEMFCs, new polymeric membranes are needed that highly conductive chemically stable. Here we report a systematic study of anion (AEMs) with multiple cations per side chain site demonstrate how this motif can boost both the conductivity stability poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)-based AEMs. The highest conductivity, up 99 mS/cm at room temperature, was observed triple-cation AEM 5 or 6 methylene groups between cations. This considerably higher than samples based on benzyltrimethylammonium benzyldimethylhexylammonium only one cation site. In addition high multication AEMs showed good alkaline dimensional stabilities. High retention ion capacity (IEC) (93% retention) ionic (90% were in degradation testing under 1 M NaOH 80 °C 500 h. Based AEM, Pt-catalyzed cell peak power density 364 mW/cm2 achieved 60 100% related humidity.