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Synthesis and study of pyridine-containing sulfonated polybenzimidazole multiblock copolymer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

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Abstract

To improve the chemical stability and acid doping levels of proton exchange membranes, a series of sulfonated polybenzimidazole multiblock copolymers containing pyridine rings (sPBI40-b-PyPBI5-b-PIx) was synthesized. All the copolymers exhibited excellent solubility. The proton exchange membranes were prepared using a solvent casting method. All the membranes were characterized by thermal stability, a tension test, chemical stability, dimensional stability, PA-doping ability, and proton conductivity. All of the membranes had good thermal stability, mechanical properties, and dimensional stability. The proton conductivity of sPBI40-b-PyPBI5-b-PI5 (ion exchange capacity, IEC = 1.83 mmol g−1) was 0.018 S cm−1 at 105 °C and 100% relative humidity. The proton conductivity of the sPBI40-b-PyPBI5-b-PI5 membrane with the highest PA uptake (199.8%) reached 0.23 S cm−1 at 180 °C. The high doping level and the proton conductivity were due to the pyridine group which increased the basicity of the copolymer. The chemical stability of the membranes, which was also a consequence of introducing the pyridine group, was better than that of sPBI-b-PI which does not have a pyridine group. This series of block copolymers have a promising application in proton exchange membranes.

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Funding

The project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation of China (51303134).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Functional Polymers, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China

    Shixiong Chen, Haiyan Pan, Zhihong Chang, Ming Jin & Hongting Pu

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  1. Shixiong Chen
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  2. Haiyan Pan
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  3. Zhihong Chang
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  4. Ming Jin
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Correspondence to Haiyan Pan.

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Chen, S., Pan, H., Chang, Z. et al. Synthesis and study of pyridine-containing sulfonated polybenzimidazole multiblock copolymer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Ionics 25, 2255–2265 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-018-2610-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-018-2610-7

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