Preparation of proton exchange membranes with high performance by a pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (PPECVD)

Abstract

A pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique has been employed to prepare sulfonated plasma polymerized membranes. The technique adopting such a pulse plasma discharge can avoid the further dissociation of active species and polymers formed by the plasma discharge during their polymerization and deposition and produces membranes with a higher content of proton exchange groups. The obtained membranes have higher water uptake capability and IECs, low methanol permeability and activation energy for proton conduction, and therefore show great promise for application in direct alcohol fuel cells.