Proton Exchange Membrane Based on Sulfonated Polyethersulfone for H2/Air and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Abstract

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES) copolymers with a degree of sulfonation higher than 30% show high proton conductivity (> 60 mS/cm) as well as a high extent of swelling. Two methods were considered to decrease the swelling and improve dimensional stability. First, composite membranes were prepared by blending SPES and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and annealing under nitrogen at 280 oC. In a second approach, SPES was blended with polysulfone (PSU) and heated at 260-280 oC to form sulfone crosslinks in the membrane. The membranes prepared by these methods showed significantly lower swelling in water and methanol with minor decreases in conductivity.

Proton Dynamics in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane, Sulfonated Polyether Sulfone (SPES): A Computational Study

“…Therefore, there have been attempts to develop alternative membranes which are superior to Nafion in various aspects (1). Among the alternatives, sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) have attracted interest because of its features such as low cost, easy preparation and so on (2,3). SPES is one of the sulfonated aromatic polymers which are known to be low in cost compared to perfluorinated polymers such as Nafion.…”