Bio-amine crosslinking reforming sulfonated polymer shaped like deoxyribonucleic acid for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

This article reports on a study that investigated the use of blended sulfonated polymer membranes for fuel cell applications. The researchers blended a sulfonated poly(arylene ether) polymer material with an amine-based crosslinking agent in 1%–5% varying weight percentages. By replacing the sulfonates' hydrogen bonds with the amine groups in the crosslinking agent, the researchers were able to enhance the structure of the polymer material. This, in turn, can help resolve the issue of inadequate dimensional stability of SA8, thereby prolonging the lifespan of fuel cells. The resulting membranes showed improved dimensional stability, oxidative stability, and cell component efficiency, with the 5% crosslinking agent blend ratio demonstrating decrease 30.8 times in swelling ratio and a 4.9% increase in oxidative stability. Additionally, the fuel cell efficiency of the 1% crosslinking agent blend ratio membrane was 20.4% higher than that of the commercial membrane, with a power density of 1.21 W/cm2. The SA8+1P blend ratio had the highest ion exchange capacity and water uptake, resulting in increased proton conductivity and power density. Furthermore, the dimensional stability of the membranes improved with the blend ratio, with the SA8+5P membrane outperforming the commercial Nafion 211 membrane. The SA8+1P and SA8+5P membranes have been proven to demonstrate exceptional performance in terms of ion exchange capacity, conductivity, and dimensional stability. Furthermore, these membranes also show high efficiency in fuel cell efficiency. Overall, the results suggest that blending sulfonated polymer membranes with an amine-based crosslinking agent has the potential to improve the performance of fuel cell components.