Nano Composite Membranes of Sulfonated Amine-Poly(ether sulfone)s and SiO₂ for Fuel Cell Application

Abstract:

Organic-inorganic Nano composite membranes were prepared by Sulfonated amine-poly(ether sulfone)s (S-APES)s and SiO2. S-APESs were prepared by nitration, reduction and sulfonation of poly(ether sulfone) (ultrason®-S6010). Poly(ether sulfone) was reacted with ammonium nitrate and trifluoroacetic anhydride to produce the nitrated poly(ether sulfone), and was followed by reduction using tin(Ⅱ)chloride and sodium iodide as reducing agents to give the amino-poly(ether sulfone). The S-APES was obtained by reaction of 1,3-propanesultone and the amino-poly(ether sulfone) (NH2-PES) with sodium methoxide. The different degrees of nitration and reduction of poly(ether sulfone) were successfully synthesized by an optimized process. Organic-inorganic nano composite membranes were obtained by mixing S-APES (45 %) with hydrophilic SiO2 (20 nm, 4-10 %) obtained by sol-gel process. Different contents of SiO2 of the S-APES were studied by FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Sorption experiments were conducted to observe the interaction of sulfonated polymers with water and methanol. The ion exchange capacity (IEC), a measure of proton conductivity, was evaluated. The nano composite membranes exhibit conductivities (25 °C) from 3.51 x 10-3 to 4.10 x 10-3 S/cm, water swell from 57.25 to 60.50 %, IEC from 0.68 to 0.73 meq/g, and methanol diffusion coefficients from 2.81 x 10-7 to 3.33 x 10-7 cm2/S at 25 °C.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 658)
• Pages: 392-395
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.658.392
• Online since: July 2010
• Authors: Dong Wan Seo, Young Don Lim, Soon Ho Lee, Md. Monirul Islam, Hyun Mi Jin, Keun Ho Lee, Ho Hyoun Jang, Whan Gi Kim
• Keywords: Amine-Polymer, Fuel Cell (FC), Nitration, Poly(ether sulfone), Proton Conductivity, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Reduction

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