1
|
Douglin JC, Sekar A, Singh RK, Chen Z, Li J, Dekel DR. Hydrogenated TiO 2 Carbon Support for PtRu Anode Catalyst in High-Performance Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307497. [PMID: 38088587 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The availability of durable, high-performance electrocatalysts for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is currently a constraint for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Herein, a rapid microwave-assisted synthesis method is used to develop a core-shell catalyst support based on a hydrogenated TiO2/carbon for PtRu nanoparticles (NPs). The hydrogenated TiO2 provides a strong metal-support interaction with the PtRu NPs, which improves the catalyst's oxophilicity and HOR activity compared to commercial PtRu/C and enables greater size control of the catalyst NPs. The as-synthesized PtRu/TiO2/C-400 electrocatalyst exhibits respectable performance in an AEMFC operated at 80 °C, yielding the highest current density (up to 3× higher) within the catalytic region (compared at 0.80-0.90 V) and voltage efficiency (68%@ 0.5 A cm-2) values in the compared literature. In addition, the cell demonstrates promising short-term voltage stability with a minor voltage decay of 1.5 mV h-1. This "first-of-its-kind in alkaline" work may open further research avenues to develop rapid synthesis methods to prepare advanced core-shell metal-oxide/carbon supports for electrocatalysts for use in the next-generation of AEMFCs with potential applicability to the broader electrochemical systems research community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John C Douglin
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Archana Sekar
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Ramesh K Singh
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- CO2 Research and Green Technologies Centre, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Zihua Chen
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Dario R Dekel
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kamboj N, Dey A, Birara S, Majumder M, Sengupta S, Metre RK. Designing one-compartment H 2O 2 fuel cell using electroactive phenalenyl-based [Fe 2(hnmh-PLY) 3] complex as the cathode material. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:7152-7162. [PMID: 38572846 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00134f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The sustainable chemical energy of H2O2 as a fuel and an oxidant in an advantageous single-compartment fuel cell design can be converted into electric energy, which requires molecular engineering to design suitable cathodes for lowering the high overpotential associated with H2O2 reduction. The present work covers the synthesis and structural characterization of a novel cathode material, [FeIII2(hnmh-PLY)3] complex, 1, designed from a PLY-derived Schiff base ligand (E)-9-(2-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)hydrazineyl)-1H-phenalen-1-one, hnmh-PLYH2. Complex 1, when coated on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GC-1) significantly catalyzed the reduction of H2O2 in an acidic medium. Therefore, a complex 1 modified glassy carbon electrode was employed in a one-compartment H2O2 fuel cell operated in 0.1 M HCl with Ni foam as the corresponding anode to produce a high open circuit potential (OCP) of 0.65 V and a peak power density (PPD) of 2.84 mW cm-2. CV studies of complex 1 revealed the crucial participation of two Fe(III) centers for initiating H2O2 reduction, and the role of coordinated redox-active PLY units is also highlighted. In the solid state, the π-conjugated network of coordinating (hnmh-PLY) ligands in complex 1 has manifested interesting face-to-face π-π stacking interactions, which have helped the reduction of the complex and facilitated the overall catalytic performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Kamboj
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan-342030, India.
| | - Ayan Dey
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan-342030, India.
| | - Sunita Birara
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan-342030, India.
| | - Moumita Majumder
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Environmental Studies, Dr Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune, Maharashtra-411038, India.
| | - Srijan Sengupta
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan-342030, India.
| | - Ramesh K Metre
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan-342030, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Douglin JC, Vijaya Sankar K, Biancolli ALG, Santiago EI, Tsur Y, Dekel DR. Quantifying the Resistive Losses of the Catalytic Layers in Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202301080. [PMID: 37525490 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The existing gap in the ability to quantify the impacts of resistive losses on the performance of anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) during the lifetime of their operation is a serious concern for the technology. In this paper, we analyzed the ohmic region of an operating AEMFC fed with pure oxygen followed by CO2 -free air at various operating currents, using a combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and a novel technique called impedance spectroscopy genetic programming (ISGP). Presented here for the first time in this work, we isolated and quantified the individual effective resistance (Reff ) values occurring in the AEMFC and their influence on performance as operating conditions change. We believe that this first work is vital to help distinguish the influence of the individual catalytic and mass-transfer processes in this technology thereby providing valuable data to the AEMFC community, with potentially wider applicability to other electrochemical devices where individual physical processes occur simultaneously and need to be sequestered for deeper understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John C Douglin
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Kalimuthu Vijaya Sankar
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | | | | | - Yoed Tsur
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Dario R Dekel
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Clemens AL, Jayathilake BS, Karnes JJ, Schwartz JJ, Baker SE, Duoss EB, Oakdale JS. Tuning Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes through Crosslinking: A Review of Synthetic Strategies and Property Relationships. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15061534. [PMID: 36987313 PMCID: PMC10051716 DOI: 10.3390/polym15061534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs) are an enabling component for next-generation electrochemical devices, including alkaline fuel cells, water and CO2 electrolyzers, and flow batteries. While commercial systems, notably fuel cells, have traditionally relied on proton-exchange membranes, hydroxide-ion conducting AAEMs hold promise as a method to reduce cost-per-device by enabling the use of non-platinum group electrodes and cell components. AAEMs have undergone significant material development over the past two decades; however, challenges remain in the areas of durability, water management, high temperature performance, and selectivity. In this review, we survey crosslinking as a tool capable of tuning AAEM properties. While crosslinking implementations vary, they generally result in reduced water uptake and increased transport selectivity and alkaline stability. We survey synthetic methodologies for incorporating crosslinks during AAEM fabrication and highlight necessary precautions for each approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Auston L. Clemens
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
- Correspondence: (A.L.C.); (J.S.O.)
| | | | - John J. Karnes
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Johanna J. Schwartz
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Sarah E. Baker
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Eric B. Duoss
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - James S. Oakdale
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
- Correspondence: (A.L.C.); (J.S.O.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Willdorf-Cohen S, Zhegur-Khais A, Ponce-González J, Bsoul-Haj S, Varcoe JR, Diesendruck CE, Dekel DR. Alkaline Stability of Anion-Exchange Membranes. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2023; 6:1085-1092. [PMID: 36937111 PMCID: PMC10016746 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c03689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the development of durable anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) has increased in intensity due to their potential to use low-cost, sustainable components. However, the decomposition of the quaternary ammonium (QA) cationic groups in the anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) during cell operation is still a major challenge. Many different QA types and functionalized polymers have been proposed that achieve high AEM stabilities in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions. We previously developed an ex situ technique to measure AEM alkaline stabilities in an environment that simulates the low-hydration conditions in an operating AEMFC. However, this method required the AEMs to be soluble in DMSO solvent, so decomposition could be monitored using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We now report the extension of this ex situ protocol to spectroscopically measure the alkaline stability of insoluble AEMs. The stability ofradiation-grafted (RG) poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene)-(ETFE)-based poly(vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium) (ETFE-TMA) and poly(vinylbenzyltriethylammonium) (ETFE-TEA) AEMs were studied using Raman spectroscopy alongside changes in their true OH- conductivities and ion-exchange capacities (IEC). A crosslinked polymer made from poly(styrene-co-vinylbenzyl chloride) random copolymer and N,N,N',N'-tetraethyl-1,3-propanediamine (TEPDA) was also studied. The results are consistent with our previous studies based on QA-type model small molecules and soluble poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide) (PPO) polymers. Our work presents a reliable ex situ technique to measure the true alkaline stability of AEMs for fuel cells and water electrolyzers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sapir Willdorf-Cohen
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
| | - Avital Zhegur-Khais
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
| | - Julia Ponce-González
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University
of Surrey, GuildfordGU2 7XH, U.K.
| | - Saja Bsoul-Haj
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
| | - John R. Varcoe
- School
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University
of Surrey, GuildfordGU2 7XH, U.K.
| | - Charles E. Diesendruck
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion—Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
- The
Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
| | - Dario R. Dekel
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
- The
Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa3200003, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chand K, Paladino O. Recent developments of membranes and electrocatalysts for the hydrogen production by Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers: A review. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
|
7
|
Enhancing the durability and performance of radiation-induced grafted low-density polyethylene-based anion-exchange membranes by controlling irradiation conditions. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
8
|
Chatenet M, Pollet BG, Dekel DR, Dionigi F, Deseure J, Millet P, Braatz RD, Bazant MZ, Eikerling M, Staffell I, Balcombe P, Shao-Horn Y, Schäfer H. Water electrolysis: from textbook knowledge to the latest scientific strategies and industrial developments. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:4583-4762. [PMID: 35575644 PMCID: PMC9332215 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01079k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Replacing fossil fuels with energy sources and carriers that are sustainable, environmentally benign, and affordable is amongst the most pressing challenges for future socio-economic development. To that goal, hydrogen is presumed to be the most promising energy carrier. Electrocatalytic water splitting, if driven by green electricity, would provide hydrogen with minimal CO2 footprint. The viability of water electrolysis still hinges on the availability of durable earth-abundant electrocatalyst materials and the overall process efficiency. This review spans from the fundamentals of electrocatalytically initiated water splitting to the very latest scientific findings from university and institutional research, also covering specifications and special features of the current industrial processes and those processes currently being tested in large-scale applications. Recently developed strategies are described for the optimisation and discovery of active and durable materials for electrodes that ever-increasingly harness first-principles calculations and machine learning. In addition, a technoeconomic analysis of water electrolysis is included that allows an assessment of the extent to which a large-scale implementation of water splitting can help to combat climate change. This review article is intended to cross-pollinate and strengthen efforts from fundamental understanding to technical implementation and to improve the 'junctions' between the field's physical chemists, materials scientists and engineers, as well as stimulate much-needed exchange among these groups on challenges encountered in the different domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marian Chatenet
- University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP (Institute of Engineering and Management University Grenoble Alpes), LEPMI, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Bruno G Pollet
- Hydrogen Energy and Sonochemistry Research group, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
- Green Hydrogen Lab, Institute for Hydrogen Research (IHR), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), 3351 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, Québec G9A 5H7, Canada
| | - Dario R Dekel
- The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
- The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Fabio Dionigi
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University Berlin, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Deseure
- University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP (Institute of Engineering and Management University Grenoble Alpes), LEPMI, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre Millet
- Paris-Saclay University, ICMMO (UMR 8182), 91400 Orsay, France
- Elogen, 8 avenue du Parana, 91940 Les Ulis, France
| | - Richard D Braatz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Martin Z Bazant
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Michael Eikerling
- Chair of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Intzestraße 5, 52072 Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-13: Modelling and Simulation of Materials in Energy Technology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Iain Staffell
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Balcombe
- Division of Chemical Engineering and Renewable Energy, School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Yang Shao-Horn
- Research Laboratory of Electronics and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Helmut Schäfer
- Institute of Chemistry of New Materials, The Electrochemical Energy and Catalysis Group, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 7, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Merkel A, Čopák L, Golubenko D, Dvořák L, Vavro M, Yaroslavtsev A, Šeda L. Recovery of Hydrochloric Acid from Industrial Wastewater by Diffusion Dialysis Using a Spiral-Wound Module. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116212. [PMID: 35682891 PMCID: PMC9181085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, the possibility of using a spiral-wound diffusion dialysis module was studied for the separation of hydrochloric acid and Zn2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, and Fe2+ salts. Diffusion dialysis recovered 68% of free HCl from the spent pickling solution contaminated with heavy-metal-ion salts. A higher volumetric flowrate of the stripping medium recovered a more significant portion of free acid, namely, 77%. Transition metals (Fe, Ni, Cr) apart from Zn were rejected by >85%. Low retention of Zn (35%) relates to the diffusion of negatively charged chloro complexes through the anion-exchange membrane. The mechanical and transport properties of dialysis FAD-PET membrane under accelerated degradation conditions was investigated. Long-term tests coupled with the economic study have verified that diffusion dialysis is a suitable method for the treatment of spent acids, the salts of which are well soluble in water. Calculations predict significant annual OPEX savings, approximately up to 58%, favouring diffusion dialysis for implementation into wastewater management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Merkel
- MemBrain s. r. o. (Membrane Innovation Centre), Pod Vinicí 87, 471 27 Stráž pod Ralskem, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (L.Š.)
- Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (L.Č.); Tel.: +420-777-539-924 (A.M.); +420-720-051-738 (L.Č.)
| | - Ladislav Čopák
- MemBrain s. r. o. (Membrane Innovation Centre), Pod Vinicí 87, 471 27 Stráž pod Ralskem, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (L.Š.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (L.Č.); Tel.: +420-777-539-924 (A.M.); +420-720-051-738 (L.Č.)
| | - Daniil Golubenko
- Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 31 Leninsky Avenue, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.G.); (A.Y.)
| | - Lukáš Dvořák
- Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic;
| | - Matej Vavro
- MemBrain s. r. o. (Membrane Innovation Centre), Pod Vinicí 87, 471 27 Stráž pod Ralskem, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (L.Š.)
| | - Andrey Yaroslavtsev
- Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 31 Leninsky Avenue, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.G.); (A.Y.)
| | - Libor Šeda
- MemBrain s. r. o. (Membrane Innovation Centre), Pod Vinicí 87, 471 27 Stráž pod Ralskem, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (L.Š.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Elucidating the role of alkyl chain in poly(aryl piperidinium) copolymers for anion exchange membrane fuel cells. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
11
|
Aggarwal K, Gjineci N, Kaushansky A, Bsoul S, Douglin JC, Li S, Salam I, Aharonovich S, Varcoe JR, Dekel DR, Diesendruck CE. Isoindolinium Groups as Stable Anion Conductors for Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers. ACS MATERIALS AU 2022; 2:367-373. [PMID: 36855387 PMCID: PMC9888642 DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialsau.2c00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anion-exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells (AEMFCs) and water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) have gained strong attention of the scientific community as an alternative to expensive mainstream fuel cell and electrolysis technologies. However, in the high pH environment of the AEMFCs and AEMWEs, especially at low hydration levels, the molecular structure of most anion-conducting polymers breaks down because of the strong reactivity of the hydroxide anions with the quaternary ammonium (QA) cation functional groups that are commonly used in the AEMs and ionomers. Therefore, new highly stable QAs are needed to withstand the strong alkaline environment of these electrochemical devices. In this study, a series of isoindolinium salts with different substituents is prepared and investigated for their stability under dry alkaline conditions. We show that by modifying isoindolinium salts, steric effects could be added to change the degradation kinetics and impart significant improvement in the alkaline stability, reaching an order of magnitude improvement when all the aromatic positions are substituted. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are provided in support of the high kinetic stability found in these substituted isoindolinium salts. This is the first time that this class of QAs has been investigated. We believe that these novel isoindolinium groups can be a good alternative in the chemical design of AEMs to overcome material stability challenges in advanced electrochemical systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kanika Aggarwal
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Nansi Gjineci
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Alexander Kaushansky
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - Saja Bsoul
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion − Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - John C. Douglin
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion − Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Songlin Li
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion − Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Ihtasham Salam
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, U.K.
| | - Sinai Aharonovich
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200008 Haifa, Israel
| | - John R. Varcoe
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, U.K.
| | - Dario R. Dekel
- The
Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion − Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel,The
Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel,
| | - Charles E. Diesendruck
- Schulich
Faculty of Chemistry, Technion −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200008 Haifa, Israel,The
Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) −
Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel,
| |
Collapse
|