Novel materials for proton exchange membranes for fuel cells

FUEL 243

Grace Jones Daba Kalaw, gdk042000@utdallas.edu1, Inga H. Musselman, imusselm@utdallas.edu2, Duck-Joo Yang3, Kenneth J. Balkus Jr., balkus@utdallas.edu4, and John P. Ferraris, ferraris@utdallas.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry and The Alan G. McDiarmid Nanotech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Rd, BE 26, Richardson, TX 75080, (2) Department of Chemistry and The Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, (3) Department of Chemistry and The Alan G. MacDiarmid Nanotech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Rd, BE 26, Richardson, TX 75080, (4) Department of Chemistry and the UTD NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083-0688
Novel proton-conducting membranes were investigated for PEMFC applications. One type of membranes consists of polysilsesquioxanes (empirical formula of R-Si-(O)1.5) with highly cross-linked Si-O backbone and pendant organic side chains R, comprising propyl sulfonic or ethyl phosphonic acid groups. These inorganic-organic hybrid materials take advantage of the thermal/mechanical/chemical stability brought by the inorganic component, and the flexibility and proton-conducting properties of the organic component. Polysilsesquioxane membranes were prepared by facile sol-gel processing, showed proton conductivities up to 10-2 S/cm, low swelling in water and good thermal/mechanical properties.

The second type of membranes includes block copolymers with hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains with micro- to nano-phase separation. The hydrophobic rigid backbone consists of repeating units of trifluorovinyloxybenzene derivatives, while the hydrophilic soft pendant chains terminate in phosphonic acid groups. The aggregation of a rigid backbone, to form the hydrophobic domain, will provide mechanical stability and minimize excessive swelling by water.

 

Chemistry of Carbon Materials and Nanomaterials
1:30 PM-3:45 PM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 242, Oral

Division of Fuel Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008