New Proton Exchange Membranes Based on Sulfonated Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone) Copolymers: Effect of Chain Structure on Methanol Crossover

Abstract

The main drawback of direct methanol fuel cells is methanol crossover. One strategy to overcome this problem is design of new polymeric membranes. Two structurally different diols named as 4,4′-(1,4-phenylene diisopropylidene) bisphenol and 4,4′-(1,3-phenylene diisopropylidene) bisphenol (para- and meta-substituted monomers) were used to prepare two groups of poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with different structures and related membranes therefrom by solution casting. It was found that para- or meta-substitution positions in monomers affected the methanol permeability of membranes. Other influenced properties of resulted membranes such as ion exchange capacity, water uptake, proton conductivity, glass transition temperature, and mechanical strength were studied and compared.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Methanol crossover
• poly(arylene ether sulfone)
• proton conductivity
• proton exchange membrane
• thermal stability

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to appreciate Renewable Energy Organization of Iran for collaboration and partial support of this research.

Notes

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/gpom.