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Effect of Polyhedral Silsesquioxane Functionalized Sulfonic Acid Groups Incorporated Into Highly Sulfonated Polyphenylsulfone as Proton-Conducting Membrane

  • Research Article-Chemical Engineering
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Abstract

A Composite proton exchange membrane consists of octaphenyl polyhedral silsesquioxane (POSS) has been incorporated into a highly sulfonated polyphenylsulfone (SPPSU) for potential use in fuel cell applications. The effect of modified POSS by functionalization with sulfonic acid groups (SPOSS) addition on physicochemical properties, mechanical strength, and proton conductivity of the SPPSU is examined. Results revealed that the incorporation of POSS and SPOSS has significantly improved the mechanical strength and conductivity of the SPPSU composite membranes. SPPSU-POSS composite membrane shows tough and ductile features. Meanwhile, the SPPSU-SPOSS composite membrane exhibits mechanically lower strength but greater in flexibility as compared to SPPSU-POSS composite membrane. As per expectation, the proton conductivity of the SPPSU-SPOSS composite membrane is significantly improved compared to SPPSU-POSS composite membrane according to its relatively higher water uptake value. Based on the obtained results, it has been suggested that POSS has enhanced the proton conductivity and mechanical strength of the highly sulfonated PPSU based membrane desirable to be served as a proton exchange membrane in fuel cell application.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Research Management Centre (RMC), UTM for supporting the research management activities specifically under project Grant of R. J130000.7851.4L880 MRUN 4.4: Integrated Energy and Water Generation System from Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC) Technology. The authors would also like to acknowledge supported by the International Cooperative Graduate School (ICGS) Fellowship under the “Universiti Teknologi Malaysia-NIMS Cooperative Graduate School Program” to conduct research in National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan. This work also was supported by the MEXT Program for Development of Environmental Technology using Nanotechnology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hydrogen Production Materials Group, Center for Green Research On Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan

    Nor Azureen Mohamad Nor & Je-Deok Kim

  2. Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Group, Global Research Center for Environmental and Energy Based On Nanomaterials Science (GREEN), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan

    Nor Azureen Mohamad Nor & Je-Deok Kim

  3. Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia

    Nor Azureen Mohamad Nor, Juhana Jaafar, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman & Mukhlis A Rahman

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  1. Nor Azureen Mohamad Nor
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  2. Juhana Jaafar
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  4. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
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Correspondence to Juhana Jaafar or Je-Deok Kim.

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Mohamad Nor, N.A., Jaafar, J., Kim, JD. et al. Effect of Polyhedral Silsesquioxane Functionalized Sulfonic Acid Groups Incorporated Into Highly Sulfonated Polyphenylsulfone as Proton-Conducting Membrane. Arab J Sci Eng 46, 6399–6407 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-05088-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-05088-z

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