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Pyridine Containing Aromatic Polyether Membranes

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High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

The chapter describes the development of aromatic poly(ether sulfone)s carrying main chain pyridine units as alternative to poly(benzimidazole) (PBI) polymer electrolytes for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) applications operating at 180 °C. These polymeric materials present excellent thermal and oxidative stability both ex situ and in situ as well as high proton conductivities after doping with strong protic acids. The pathway from monomers’ design to polymerization conditions optimization and finally to membranes preparation and doping with phosphoric acid is analytically presented. Further structural and mechanical stabilization of such polyelectrolytes and their application in HT-PEMFCs operating above 180 °C even up to 220 °C has been achieved through cross-linking. The cross-linked materials’ superiority over linear analogues is depicted.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support from European Commission and from the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is greatly acknowledged. The authors are also indebted to Advent SA personnel for their collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Rio-Patras, 26504, Greece

    Joannis K. Kallitsis & Aikaterini K. Andreopoulou

  2. Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas/Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras, 26504, Greece

    Joannis K. Kallitsis, Aikaterini K. Andreopoulou, Maria Daletou & Stylianos Neophytides

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  1. Joannis K. Kallitsis
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  2. Aikaterini K. Andreopoulou
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  3. Maria Daletou
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  4. Stylianos Neophytides
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Correspondence to Joannis K. Kallitsis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    Qingfeng Li

  2. Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    David Aili

  3. Danish Power Systems, Kvistgård, Denmark

    Hans Aage Hjuler

  4. Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical Univeristy of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    Jens Oluf Jensen

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Kallitsis, J.K., Andreopoulou, A.K., Daletou, M., Neophytides, S. (2016). Pyridine Containing Aromatic Polyether Membranes. In: Li, Q., Aili, D., Hjuler, H., Jensen, J. (eds) High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17082-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17082-4_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-17081-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17082-4

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