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Nanocellulose/poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) composites as proton separator materials

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Abstract

The present study discloses a new type of nanocomposite membranes consisting of cross-linked poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) (PMOEP) and bacterial cellulose (BC) prepared by the in situ free radical polymerization of MOEP within the BC network under green reaction conditions. Homogeneous and translucent PMOEP/BC nanocomposite membranes with 52, 61 and 78 wt% of BC have good thermal and viscoelastic stability up to 180 °C with storage modulus higher than 200 MPa, good mechanical properties (Young’s modulus = 7.8–13.5 GPa), and high ion exchange capacity (1.95–3.38 mmol [H+] g−1). The protonic conductivity of these nanocomposite membranes increases with increasing PMOEP content and relative humidity (RH), reaching values higher than 0.1 S cm−1 at 98 % RH, with activation energy close to 15 kJ mol−1, from room temperature up to 94 °C. These values are comparable to, or higher than, data typically found for a commercial Nafion® membrane, further confirming the potential of these proton separator materials as a green alternative for application in fuel cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, CelFuelCel (EXPL/CTM-ENE/0548/2012). The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is also acknowledged for a post-doctoral grant to C. Vilela (SFRH/BPD/84168/2012), and research contracts under Investigador FCT to C.S.R. Freire (IF/01407/2012) and F.M.L. Figueiredo (IF/01174/2013).

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Correspondence to Carla Vilela or Filipe M. L. Figueiredo.

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Vilela, C., Gadim, T.D.O., Silvestre, A.J.D. et al. Nanocellulose/poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) composites as proton separator materials. Cellulose 23, 3677–3689 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-016-1050-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-016-1050-7

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