Abstract
Polymer electrolyte blend membranes composed of sulfonated block-graft polyimide (S-bg-PI) and sulfonated polybenzimidazole (sPBI) were prepared and characterized. The proton conductivity and oxygen permeability coefficient of the novel blend membrane S-bg-PI/sPBI (7 wt%) were 0.38 S cm−1 at 90 °C and 98% relative humidity and 7.2 × 10−13 cm3(STP) cm (cm2 s cmHg)−1 at 35 °C and 76 cmHg, respectively, while those of Nafion® were 0.15 S cm−1 and 1.1 × 10−10 cm3(STP) cm (cm2 s cmHg)−1 under the same conditions. The apparent (proton/oxygen transport) selectivity calculated from the proton conductivity and the oxygen permeability coefficient in the S-bg-PI/sPBI (7 wt%) membrane was 300 times larger than that determined in the Nafion membrane. Besides, the excellent gas barrier properties based on an acid − base interaction in the blend membranes are expected to suppress the generation of hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen species, which will degrade fuel cells during operation. The excellent proton conductivity and gas barrier properties of the novel membranes promise their application for future fuel cell membranes. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Published Version
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