Poly(ether sulfone)–sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) blend ultrafiltration/nanofiltration-based proton-conductive membranes with improved performance for H2/Cl2fuel cell application

Abstract

A new blend ultrafiltration (UF)/nanofiltration (NF)-based proton-conductive membrane, which comprised poly(ether sulfone) (PES), sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and absorbed aqueous acid, as an alternative to traditional exchange membrane, was proposed and designed for H₂/Cl₂ fuel cells. The effect of SPEEK concentration at different degree of sulfonation on membrane properties was systematically studied. The room-temperature conductivity of the prepared membrane doped with 3 M hydrochloric acid reached up to 106–131 mS cm⁻¹. The electrochemical characteristics of membrane/electrode assemblies using the PES–SPEEK composite membrane were also analyzed. The cell exhibited better performance than that of a cell based on Nafion 212 membrane (about twice). The study provides an effective way to fabricate high performance porous membranes for H₂/Cl₂ fuel cell applications.