High ionic conductivities of 10-4 to 10-2 S/cm are achieved with Li+-form perfluorosulfonate ionomers over
a wide temperature range by swelling in nonaqueous organic solvents. The dependence of ionic conductivity
on temperature, solvent absorption, and membrane equivalent weight is examined for Nafion perfluorinated
ionomer membranes. These results are compared with other ionomer membranes, including those having
hydrocarbon backbones and weaker acid groups, to correlate ionic conductivity with ionomer structure. The
most important factors determining ionic conductivity in membranes swollen with polar nonaqueous solvents,
beyond the solvent properties such as viscosity and molecular weight, are the basicity of the fixed anion
group and the solvent uptake by the membrane. Ionic conductivity is generally limited by dissociation of the
cation from the fixed anion site. Several means for increasing conductivity are demonstrated including the
use of cation complexing agents to increase ionic dissociation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.