Issue 47, 2023

Morphology and cell performance of poly(fluorene)-based anion exchange membranes for water electrolysis: effect of backbone core structure

Abstract

For the satisfactory ionic conductivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs), it is crucial to develop a membrane with a precisely manipulated morphology. Here, we report AEM morphology changes according to core structure in novel aryl ether-free poly(fluorene) AEMs with alkyl spacers on biphenyl, fluorene, and spirobifluorene polymer backbones constructed via the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. Morphological and conformational analyses of these AEMs were undertaken using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). As a result, PFPB-QA, which had the lowest glass transition temperature due to the limited rotation of biphenyl, exhibited the most oriented structure and well-connected ion transport channels, thereby exhibiting high conductivity (>125 mS cm−1 at 80 °C) and high alkaline stability (>96% in 1 M KOH at 80 °C). Moreover, a PFPB-QA water electrolysis cell showed a cell performance of 2.68 A cm−2 at 2.0 V and a degradation rate of 1.07% during a 500 h durability test at 70 °C in 1 M KOH.

Graphical abstract: Morphology and cell performance of poly(fluorene)-based anion exchange membranes for water electrolysis: effect of backbone core structure

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 9 2023
Accepted
16 11 2023
First published
16 11 2023

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023,11, 25938-25944

Morphology and cell performance of poly(fluorene)-based anion exchange membranes for water electrolysis: effect of backbone core structure

H. Lim, J. Jeong, D. H. Lee, S. Myeong, G. Shin, D. Choi, W. B. Kim, S. M. Choi and T. Park, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 25938 DOI: 10.1039/D3TA05669D

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