A strategy for disentangling the conductivity–stability dilemma in alkaline polymer electrolytes

Abstract

Alkaline polymer electrolytes (APEs) are a new class of polyelectrolytes enabling the use of nonprecious metal catalysts in electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and water electrolyzers. However, the current development of APEs is facing a severe difficulty, the conductivity–stability dilemma. Specifically, to acquire high ionic conductivity, the polymer backbone has to be grafted with enough cationic functional groups, typically quaternary ammonium (–NR₃⁺), but such a modification in structure has damaged the chemical inertness of the polymer backbone and induced degradation in an alkaline environment. Here we demonstrate a strategy for disentangling such a dilemma. To alleviate the damage to the polymer backbone, we reduce the grafting degree (GD) of functional groups, but design two cations on each grafted functional group so as to retain sufficient ion concentration. Such a seemingly simple change in structure has brought a notable effect in performance: not only can both high ionic conductivity and much improved chemical stability be achieved, but also the intermolecular interaction between polymer chains has thus been enhanced, rendering the resulting APE membrane much stronger in mechanical strength and highly anti-swelling in water even at 80 °C.