Abstract
Sulfonated poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) copolymer (S-SEBS) was prepared as an anion exchange membrane using the casting method. The prepared S-SEBS was further modified with sulfonic acid groups and grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) to improve the ionic conducting properties. The prepared MA-grafted S-SEBS (S-SEBS-g-MA) membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and dynamic modulus analysis (DMA). The morphology of the S-SEBS and S-SEBS-g-MA was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. The modified membranes formed ionic channels by means of association with the sulfonate group and carboxyl group in the SEBS. The electrochemical properties of the modified SEBS membranes, such as water uptake capability, impedance spectroscopy, ionic conductivity, and ionic exchange capacity (IEC), were also measured. The electrochemical analysis revealed that the S-SEBS-g-MA anion exchange membrane showed ionic conductivity of 0.25 S/cm at 100% relative humidity, with 72.5% water uptake capacity. Interestingly, we did not observe any changes in their mechanical and chemical properties, which revealed the robustness of the modified SEBS membrane.
Highlights
Polymer Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Abstract: Sulfonated poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) copolymer (S-SEBS) was prepared as an anion exchange membrane using the casting method
The sulfonation agent was prepared by diluting chlorosulfonic acid in 1,2-dichloroethane and the prepared SEBS membrane was soaking into sulfonation agent for 5 min
A membrane with two kinds of hydrophobic functional group (SO3 H, –COOH) has well-ordered and more continuously connected nano-channels than S-SEBS and SEBS-g-maleic anhydride (MA), which have single hydrophobic functional groups of SO3 H or COOH, respectively (Figure 4d). These results show that S-SEBS-g-MA is superior to S-SEBS and SEBS-g-MA as an ionic exchange membrane
Summary
Polymer Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Abstract: Sulfonated poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) copolymer (S-SEBS) was prepared as an anion exchange membrane using the casting method. The prepared S-SEBS was further modified with sulfonic acid groups and grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) to improve the ionic conducting properties. The conventional renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, are intermittent and often unpredictable due to their dependency on the weather conditions. These characteristics limit the degree to which utilities can rely upon them, and currently such renewable energy alternatives comprise a small percentage of the primary power sources on the electrical grid [3]. RFBs present several advantages that makes them promising candidates for large-scale energy storage systems; they have energy and power density, capacity which can be designed independently and modified even after installation, a moderate operational temperature and a long-life, which makes them highly reliable [3,4]. An RFB consists of electrolyte tanks from which the oxidant and reductant electrolytes are circulated by pumps, through a cell stack comprising a number of connected cells
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