Abstract

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanocrystals with thiol stabilizers have been applied widely in the fields of energy storage and transformation. The aim of this work is to develop anhydrous proton exchange membranes (PEMs) by introducing CdTe nanocrystals bearing thioglycolic acid (tga) or mercaptopropionic acid (mpa) stabilizers into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and polyurethane (PU) systems. In the prepared SPEEK/PU/CdTe membranes, CdTe nanocrystals could provide desirable properties such as improving mechanical strength and enhancing proton conductivity by combining with phosphoric acid (PA) molecules. Successful preparation of SPEEK/PU/CdTe/PA membranes was demonstrated by the identification of high and stable proton conductivity and satisfactory thermal/chemical stability and mechanical properties. The fine appearance of membranes revealed uniform dispersion of components. Measurements of properties showed that the SPEEK(74%)/PU/CdTe-mpa(20/60/20)/100%PA membrane as a candidate anhydrous PEM is promising for use in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Specifically, the recommended membrane showed a proton conductivity of 1.18 × 10−1 S cm−1 at 160 °C and 3.96 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 100 °C, lasting for 600 h, and a tensile stress of 14.6 MPa at room temperature. Mixing inorganic CdTe nanocrystals with polymers to form inorganic/organic composite membranes is effective for producing anhydrous PEMs with cheaper polymers without functional groups to conduct protons.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.