Extensive efforts have been made to advance fuel cell technologies through optimization of the polymer-electrolyte membrane, specifically, reduce water transport and increase operating temperatures. The most common sulfonated polymer-electrolytes require high humidity to transport charge, which limits applicability. Hyperbranched polymers constitute an attractive material for advanced membranes due to their high functional density, lowered solution viscosity, and greater flexibility compared with linear analogues. Here, an alternative, tailorable, crosslinkable, hyperbranched fluoropolymer (HBFP) is being investigated to mitigate hydration requirements, enhance operable temperature, and advance fundamental research of fuel cell technologies.A variety of ionomers were prepared from the HBFP in varying functional density. The addition of sulfonates, carboxylates, and nitrogen-containing heterocycles was examined. To enhance mechanical properties of the HBFP-electrolyte the materials were blended or crosslinked with various linear polymers to produce durable and creasable membranes. The fabricated membranes were further manipulated thermally and in solution to examine the effect on ion channel morphology. The goal of this work was to optimize ion-channel formation and proton transport kinetics of anhydrous and hydrated hyperbranched polymer-electrolytes for hydrogen fuel cells.

Imidazole containing hyperbranched perfluorinated polymer blends toward anhydrous proton exchange membranes

248th National Meeting (2014)

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