A novel polyetherimide hydrogel proton exchange membrane

Abstract

Herein, we report a novel rapidly formed hydrogel membrane that is crosslinked by polyetherimide and polyethyleneimine within 10 s. The polyetherimide as the backbone provided rigidity to the hydrogel membrane, and the polyethyleneimine as the crosslinker provided hydrophilicity. The mechanical strength and electrical performance of the hydrogel membranes can be finely regulated by adjusting the ratio of these two polymers. The hydrogel membranes exhibited high proton conductivity (78–124 mS cm⁻¹) from 20 °C to 160 °C (RH = 100%).