Enhancing the Performance of Poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)-Based Membranes Using a New Type of Functionalized TiO₂ with Superior Proton Conductivity

Abstract

A novel, high-efficiency, and cost-effective series of sulfonated poly­(phthalazinone ether ketone)/sulfonated titanium dioxide@toluene diisocyanate@ethylenediamine (SO3H−TiO2@TDI@EN-SO3H) nanocomposite membranes is designed to enhance the proton conductivity and methanol barrier of the proton exchange membrane (PEM). The nanocomposite membranes were prepared via a facile one-step process of the solution casting method. The presence of organic–inorganic SO3H–TiO2@TDI@EN-SO3H nanoparticles improved the performance of the nanocomposite membranes in terms of mechanical stability, proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and selectivity. We used toluene diisocyanate (TDI) as a linker to exploit the properties of sulfonated TiO2 and sulfonated ethylenediamine (EN-SO3H) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles act as Lewis and Brønsted acids simultaneously because of the presence of sulfonamide, TiO2, and SO3H groups, which increase the kinetics of the reaction between the membrane and electrode, improving the performance of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The DMFC, which is assembled using the nanocomposite membrane with 5 wt % SO3H–TiO2@TDI@EN-SO3H nanoparticle (MSN5) membrane, exhibited a maximum power density of 59.22 mW cm–2 during testing because of high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability. The MSN5 membrane is a promising PEM for DMFCs.

Novel proton conducting core–shell PAMPS-PVBS@Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles as a reinforcement for SPEEK based membranes

“…The proton exchange membrane (PEM) plays an important role in proton transport from the anode to the cathode side of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). By considering this fact, this part of the fuel cell has always attracted the researchers’ attention 1 , 2 . As an essential component of PEMFCs, PEMs must have outstanding characteristics such as high proton conductivity, desirable physicochemical and thermal properties, dimensional stability, and low cost 3 .…”

A Review of Recent Developments and Advanced Applications of High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for PEM Fuel Cells

“…Due to the lack of water inside the membrane, the highly efficient Grotthus-type mechanism for proton diffusion is limited under low RH. Proton conductivity increases with an increase in RH for the PA-PBI membranes (2-8%) [11]. This is because intermolecular interaction between water, free PA, and imino groups are formed ( [124], respectively in dry conditions.…”

“…The first fuel cell to operate with hydrogen and oxygen was developed about 150 years ago by Sir William Grove and was then further studied by developing many other sorts of fuel cells within the 19th century [8,10]. Lately, polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, which directly convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy, were predominantly developed as the most common commercial fuel cell [11,12]. Hydrogen gas (as a fuel with the highest energy density) and oxygen (usually taken from the air) are being used in a PEM fuel cells over the surface of electrodes to produce water through a few electrochemical reactions that are associated with the electrical power generation [13].…”

Enhanced performance and durability of composite membranes containing anatase titanium oxide for fuel cells operating under low relative humidity

“…There are many reports on the preparation, functionalization, and exploitation of TiO 2 -based fillers for PEM applications. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Pure TiO 2 is a hygroscopic material that can be easily dispersed in a PEM matrix. [36][37][38][39][40][41] However, TiO 2 has no SO 3 H groups, paid for its low proton conductivity that urges for functionalization.…”