With the objective of maximizing conductivity and stability of anion exchange membrane, which is the essential part of an anion exchange membrane fuel cell, one promising strategy is to develop a membrane material that should exhibit a well-developed nanochannel morphology. To achieve this goal, we have developed synthetic schemes for preparing anion-conductive multiblock copolymers with hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments. Nanochannel structure can be tuned by controlling the hydrophilic segment length, the polarity difference of each block, and optimizing ion exchange capacity. The measurements of NMR relaxation times are employed to examine quantitative ion / water transport dynamics inside the AEM. Ultimately, these new multiblock copolymers will be used as membranes or ionomers in hybrid polymer electrolyte fuel cells and alkaline direct methanol fuel cells. Ex-situ characterization techniques include conductivity, water uptake, and fuel permeability. In-situ fuel cell performance testing is also being conducted.

Anion-conductive multiblock aromatic copolymer membranes: Structure-property relationships

245th National Meeting (2013)

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