1H high resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) NMR
spectroscopy was used to characterize the solvent environments in
a series of poly(phenylene)- and poly(phenylene alkylene)-based anion
exchange membranes (AEMs). Multiple water and methanol environments
were resolved in the membranes under HRMAS NMR. This allowed the self-diffusion
rate constants to be evaluated for each different solvent environment
as a function of the membrane identity, ion exchange capacity, water
content, and sample temperature. These ionomers have been designed
to function as binders within the catalyst layers of direct methanol
fuel cells. In such applications, it is desirable to maximize the
diffusion of the fuel (methanol) as well as the solvated ions to increase
power output. To that end, the flexibilities of the backbone and the
cationic side chains have been varied with the expectation that greater
polymer mobility will lead to improved permeability. For the two types
of AEMs investigated, it was observed that the methanol self-diffusion
rates were preferentially reduced with respect to the water diffusion
rates. It was also shown that the water diffusion rates within the
AEMs were the largest at high water concentration, as observed in
membranes containing the hexamethylene chain spacer in both the polymer
backbone and the trimethylammonium (TMA+) cation-containing
side chains.