Proton-conducting membranes based on side-chain-type sulfonated poly(ether ketone/ether benzimidazole)s via one-pot condensation

Sulfonated Binaphthyl-Containing Poly(arylene ether ketone)s with Rigid Backbone and Excellent Film-Forming Capability for Proton Exchange Membranes

Sterically hindered (S)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diol had been successfully copolymerized with 4,4'-sulfonyldiphenol and 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone to yield fibrous poly(arylene ether ketone)s (PAEKs) containing various amounts of binaphthyl unit, which was then selectively and efficiently sulfonated using ClSO₃H to yield sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (SPAEKs) with ion exchange capacities (IECs) ranging from 1.40 to 1.89 mmol·g-1. The chemical structures of the polymers were confirmed by 2D ¹H⁻¹H COSY NMR and FT-IR. The thermal properties, water uptake, swelling ratio, proton conductivity, oxidative stability and mechanical properties of SPAEKs were investigated in detail. It was found that the conjugated but non-coplanar structure of binaphthyl unit endorsed excellent solubility and film-forming capability to SPAEKs. The SPAEK-50 with an IEC of 1.89 mmol·g-1 exhibited a proton conductivity of 102 mS·cm-1 at 30 °C, much higher than that of the state-of-the-art Nafion N212 membrane and those of many previously reported aromatic analogs, which may be attributed to the likely large intrinsic free volume of SPAEKs created by the highly twisted chain structures and the desirable microscopic morphology. Along with the remarkable water affinity, thermal stabilities and mechanical properties, the SPAEKs were demonstrated to be promising proton exchange membrane (PEM) candidates for potential membrane separations.

Silane Cross-Linked Sulfonted Poly(Ether Ketone/Ether Benzimidazole)s for Fuel Cell Applications

γ-(2,3-epoxypropoxy) propyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560) was incorporated in various proportions into side-chain-type sulfonated poly(ether ketone/ether benzimidazole) (SPEKEBI) as a crosslinker, to make membranes with high ion exchange capacities and excellent performance for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Systematical measurements including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved the complete disappearance of epoxy groups in KH-560 and the existence of Si in the membranes. The resulting membranes showed increased mechanical strength and thermal stability compared to the unmodified sulfonated poly(ether ketone/ether benzimidazole) membrane in appropriate doping amount. Meanwhile, the methanol permeability has decreased, leading to the increase of relative selectivities of SPEKEBI-x-SiO₂ membranes. Furthermore, the H₂/O₂ cell performance of SPEKEBI-2.5-SiO₂ membrane showed a much higher peak power density compared with the pure SPEKEBI memrbrane.

Facile synthesis of novel poly(arylene ether)s containing N-arylenebenzimidazolyl groups via C–N/C–O coupling reaction

This article presents a convenient polymerization route to synthesize poly(arylene ether)s containing N-arylenebenzimidazolyl groups. The novel polymers were prepared by a catalyst-free nucleophilic substitution reaction, in which the N–H and O–H sites were removed from 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazole with different activated difluorides containing carbonyl groups in sulfolane. The reaction was carried out in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate at 210°C. The structures of the polymers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The results show good agreement with the proposed structure. All resulting polymers show essentially amorphous patterns. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric measurements show that the polymers have high glass transition temperatures (>209°C), good thermostability, and high decomposition temperatures (>425°C). Furthermore, the polymers also exhibit excellent solubility in common organic solvents.