Poly(vinylidene fluoride) based anion conductive ionomer as a catalyst binder for application in anion exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract

An anion conductive polymeric ionomer incorporated into the electrodes of an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) can help to enhance anion transport in the catalyst layer of electrode, and thus improve the catalyst efficiency and performance of AEMFC. In this work, we report the synthesis and properties of a new type of anion conductive ionomer, which is synthesized by grafting of poly(vinylidene fluoride), or PVDF with poly(vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride) via atom transfer radical polymerization. The ionomer obtained shows improved hydrophilicity relative to pristine PVDF, and exhibits an ion exchange capacity of 1.59mmolg−1. When used in a direct hydrazine hydrate fuel cell (DHFC) as a catalyst binder, the synthesized ionomer imparts the DHFC a significantly improved power density, which is 5–10 fold as much as that of the cells without using such ionomer. The method developed here for anion exchange ionomer synthesis is facile, green and does not involve the use of carcinogenic chemicals such as chloromethylmethylether and trimethylamine, which are often used for conventional anion exchange membrane or ionomer synthesis.