Nafion-Based Proton-Exchange Membranes Built on Cross-Linked Semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Networks between Poly(acrylic acid) and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

We report semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) membranes prepared easily from a cross-linked network using poly­(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly­(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with interpenetrated Nafion for both proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and proton-exchange membrane water electroly...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS applied materials & interfaces 2021-06, Vol.13 (24), p.28188-28200
Main Authors: Al Munsur, Abu Zafar, Goo, Bon-Hyuk, Kim, Youngkwang, Kwon, Oh Joong, Paek, Sae Yane, Lee, So Young, Kim, Hyoung-Juhn, Kim, Tae-Hyun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Energy, Environmental, and Catalysis Applications
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Summary:We report semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) membranes prepared easily from a cross-linked network using poly­(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly­(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with interpenetrated Nafion for both proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) applications. Thermal esterification between PAA and PVA induced three-dimensional cross-linking to improve mechanical toughness and reduce hydrogen crossover, while the hydrophilic nature of the PAA–PVA-based cross-linked matrix still enhanced the water uptake (WU) and hence conductivity of the Nafion penetrant. The semi-IPN membrane (NPP-95) composed of Nafion, PAA, and PVA with a ratio of 95:2.5:2.5 showed a hexagonal cylindrical morphology and improved thermal, mechanical, and dimensional stability compared to a recast Nafion membrane (re-Nafion). The membrane was also highly effective at managing water due to its low WU and high conductivity. Furthermore, its hydrogen permeability was 49.6% lower than that of re-Nafion under the actual fuel cell operating conditions (at 100% RH and 80 °C). NPP-95 exhibited significantly improved conductivity and PEMFC performance compared to re-Nafion with a current density of 1561 mA/cm2 at a potential of 0.6 V and a peak power density of 1179 mW/cm2. Furthermore, in the PEMWE performances, NPP-95 displayed about a 1.5-fold higher current density of 4310 mA/cm2 at 2.0 V and much lower ohmic resistance than re-Nafion between 60 and 80 °C.
ISSN:1944-8244
1944-8252
DOI:10.1021/acsami.1c05662