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Polymers
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Polymer Electrolytes Membranes
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Polymer Electrolytes Membranes

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Membranes and Films".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 16286

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mrinmay Mandal

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, GA, USA
Interests: ionomer; polymer membrane; bipolar membrane; electrocatalyst for fuel cells; water electrolysis; CO2 electroreduction; CO2 sequestration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Chengji Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Alan G. MacDiarmid Institute, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
Interests: polymer membranes; anion exchange membranes; proton exchange membranes; ionomers; fuel cells; water electrolysis; humidity sensors; thermoset resins; epoxy resins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid industrialization and population explosion are the main reasons for the current energy crisis and resources shortage. Fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil are our major sources of energy. The combustion of these fuels results in the emission of greenhouse gases, and threatens human health. Fuel cells are a promising clean energy technology because they are not limited by heat-engine thermodynamics and can operate at low temperature without combustion byproducts.

Hydrogen is considered as an alternate energy carrier to generate power for domestic, industrial, and transportation sectors. Hydrogen production by water electrolysis at low temperature is most promising because of the purity of produced hydrogen (˃99.9%) and its compatible nature with all electricity sources. Polyelectrolyte membranes, namely, anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and proton exchange membranes (PEMs), are a critical component of fuel cells, water electrolysis, redox flow batteries, electrodialysis, CO2 electroreduction, etc.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions focused on the Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for electrochemical devices and CO2 electroreduction to produce value-added chemicals.

I look forward to considering your submissions.

Dr. Mrinmay Mandal
Prof. Dr. Chengji Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Proton exchange membranes
  • Anion exchange membranes
  • Bipolar membranes
  • Ionomers
  • Fuel cells
  • Water electrolysis
  • Redox flow batteries
  • Electrodialysis
  • CO2 electroreduction
  • PGM/non-PGM electrocatalysts
  • Membrane electrode assemblies
  • Durability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1743 KiB  
Article
Polymeric Electrochemical Sensor for Calcium Based on DNA
by Mohsen M. Zareh, Soha F. Mohamed and Anas M. Elsheikh
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1896; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14091896 - 06 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
Plastic membranes containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as an electroactive material were acting as Ca2+ selective sensors. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), dioctyl Phthalate (DOP), or nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) were used as plasticizers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was the membrane matrix. A sensor with [...] Read more.
Plastic membranes containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as an electroactive material were acting as Ca2+ selective sensors. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), dioctyl Phthalate (DOP), or nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) were used as plasticizers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was the membrane matrix. A sensor with a membrane composition of 120 mg PVC, 60 mg DOP plasticizer, and 2 mg DNA ionophore (DNA: DOP: PVC, 1.0:29.2:0.1 mole) was found to have the best performance. The slope of the calibration graph was 30 mV decade−1. The optimum pH range was 5.7–9.5 for 0.01 M Ca2+. The sensor response time was fast (2–3 s) with a long working period (up to 3 weeks). Excellent selectivity for Ca2+ was indicated by the values of selectivity coefficients for different selected interference. The sensor was used effectively for the estimation of calcium in real samples (fruits, calcium syrup, milk, and dairy products). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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12 pages, 2566 KiB  
Article
Self-Healing of a Covalently Cross-Linked Polymer Electrolyte Membrane by Diels-Alder Cycloaddition and Electrolyte Embedding for Lithium Ion Batteries
by Lijuan Chen, Xisen Cai, Zhonghui Sun, Baohua Zhang, Yu Bao, Zhenbang Liu, Dongxue Han and Li Niu
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4155; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234155 - 27 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2525
Abstract
Thermally reversible self-healing polymer (SHP) electrolyte membranes are obtained by Diels-Alder cycloaddition and electrolyte embedding. The SHP electrolytes membranes are found to display high ionic conductivity, suitable flexibility, remarkable mechanical properties and self-healing ability. The decomposition potential of the SHP electrolyte membrane is [...] Read more.
Thermally reversible self-healing polymer (SHP) electrolyte membranes are obtained by Diels-Alder cycloaddition and electrolyte embedding. The SHP electrolytes membranes are found to display high ionic conductivity, suitable flexibility, remarkable mechanical properties and self-healing ability. The decomposition potential of the SHP electrolyte membrane is about 4.8 V (vs. Li/Li+) and it possesses excellent electrochemical stability, better than that of the commercial PE film which is only stable up to 4.5 V (vs. Li/Li+). TGA results show that the SHP electrolyte membrane is thermally stable up to 280 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. When the SHP electrolyte membrane is used as a separator in a lithium-ion battery with an LCO-based cathode, the SHP membrane achieved excellent rate capability and stable cycling for over 100 cycles, and the specific discharge capacity could be almost fully recovered after self-healing. Furthermore, the electrolyte membrane exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, suggesting its potential for application in lithium-ion batteries as separator material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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19 pages, 3804 KiB  
Article
Dimethylimidazolium-Functionalized Polybenzimidazole and Its Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Membranes for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
by Li-Cheng Jheng, Cheng-Wei Cheng, Ko-Shan Ho, Steve Lien-Chung Hsu, Chung-Yen Hsu, Bi-Yun Lin and Tsung-Han Ho
Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2864; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13172864 - 26 Aug 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2478
Abstract
A quaternized polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane was synthesized by grafting a dimethylimidazolium end-capped side chain onto PBI. The organic–inorganic hybrid membrane of the quaternized PBI was prepared via a silane-induced crosslinking process with triethoxysilylpropyl dimethylimidazolium chloride. The chemical structure and membrane morphology were characterized [...] Read more.
A quaternized polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane was synthesized by grafting a dimethylimidazolium end-capped side chain onto PBI. The organic–inorganic hybrid membrane of the quaternized PBI was prepared via a silane-induced crosslinking process with triethoxysilylpropyl dimethylimidazolium chloride. The chemical structure and membrane morphology were characterized using NMR, FTIR, TGA, SEM, EDX, AFM, SAXS, and XPS techniques. Compared with the pristine membrane of dimethylimidazolium-functionalized PBI, its hybrid membrane exhibited a lower swelling ratio, higher mechanical strength, and better oxidative stability. However, the morphology of hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase separation, which facilitates the ion transport along hydrophilic channels, only successfully developed in the pristine membrane. As a result, the hydroxide conductivity of the pristine membrane (5.02 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 80 °C) was measured higher than that of the hybrid membrane (2.22 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 80 °C). The hydroxide conductivity and tensile results suggested that both membranes had good alkaline stability in 2M KOH solution at 80 °C. Furthermore, the maximum power densities of the pristine and hybrid membranes of dimethylimidazolium-functionalized PBI reached 241 mW cm−2 and 152 mW cm−2 at 60 °C, respectively. The fuel cell performance result demonstrates that these two membranes are promising as AEMs for fuel cell applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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14 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
Highly Conductive Polyelectrolyte Membranes Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid) (PVA/PAMPS) for Fuel Cell Application
by M. A. Abu-Saied, Emad Ali Soliman, Khamael M. Abualnaj and Eman El Desouky
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2638; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13162638 - 08 Aug 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2419
Abstract
In this study, chemically cross-linked PVA/PAMPS membranes have been prepared to be used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The structural properties of the resultant membrane were characterized by use FTIR and SEM. Additionally, their thermal stability was assessed using TGA. Moreover, the [...] Read more.
In this study, chemically cross-linked PVA/PAMPS membranes have been prepared to be used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The structural properties of the resultant membrane were characterized by use FTIR and SEM. Additionally, their thermal stability was assessed using TGA. Moreover, the mechanical properties and methanol and water uptake of membrane was studied. The obtained FTIR of PVA/PAMPS membranes revealed a noticeable increase in the intensity of adsorption peaks appearing at 1062 and 1220 cm−1, which correspond to sulfonic groups with the increasing proportion of PAMPS. The thermograms of these polyelectrolyte membranes showed that their thermal stability was lower than that of PVA membrane, and total weight loss gradually decreased with increasing the PAMPS. Additionally, the functional properties and efficiency of these polyelectrolyte membranes were significantly improved with increasing PAMPS proportion in these blends. The IEC of polymer blend membrane prepared using PVA/PAMPS ratio of 1:1 was 2.64 meq/g. The same membrane recorded also a methanol permeability coefficient of 2.5 × 10−8 cm2/s and thus, its efficiency factor was 4 × 105 greater than that previously reported for the commercial polyelectrolyte membrane, Nafion® (2.6 × 105). No significant increase in this efficiency factor was observed with a further amount of PAMPS. These results proved that the PVA:PAMPS ratio of 1:1 represents the optimum mass ratio to develop the cost-effective and efficient PVA/PAMPS blend membranes for DMFCs applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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15 pages, 30051 KiB  
Article
Composite Anion Exchange Membranes Fabricated by Coating and UV Crosslinking of Low-Cost Precursors Tested in a Redox Flow Battery
by Martyna Charyton, Francesco Deboli, Peter Fischer, Gerard Henrion, Mathieu Etienne and Mateusz L. Donten
Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2396; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13152396 - 21 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3069
Abstract
This paper presents a novel, cost-effective approach to the fabrication of composite anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Hierarchical AEMs have been fabricated by coating a porous substrate with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) layer where poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) is immobilized in a crosslinked matrix. [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel, cost-effective approach to the fabrication of composite anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Hierarchical AEMs have been fabricated by coating a porous substrate with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) layer where poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) is immobilized in a crosslinked matrix. The IPN matrix was formed by UV initiated radical crosslinking of a mixture of acrylamide-based monomers and acrylic resins. The fabricated membranes have been compared with a commercial material (Fumatech FAP 450) in terms of ionic transport properties and performance in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Measures of area-specific resistance (ASR) and vanadium permeability for the proposed membranes demonstrated properties approaching the commercial benchmark. These properties could be tuned by changing the content of PVP in the IPN coating. Higher PVP/matrix ratios facilitate a higher water uptake of the coating layer and thus lower ASR (as low as 0.58 Ω.cm2). On the contrary, lower PVP/matrix ratios allow to reduce the water uptake of the coating and hence decrease the vanadium permeability at the cost of a higher ASR (as high as 1.99 Ω.cm2). In VRFB testing the hierarchical membranes enabled to reach energy efficiency comparable with the commercial AEM (PVP_14—74.7%, FAP 450—72.7% at 80 mA.cm−2). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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14 pages, 4532 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Fuel Cell Stack Performance Attenuation and Individual Cell Voltage Uniformity Based on the Durability Cycle Condition
by Chunjuan Shen, Sichuan Xu and Yuan Gao
Polymers 2021, 13(8), 1199; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13081199 - 08 Apr 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2861
Abstract
Based on the dynamic cycle condition test of a 4.5 kW fuel cell stack, the performance attenuation and individual cell voltage uniformity of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack was evaluated synthetically. The performance decay period of the fuel cell stack [...] Read more.
Based on the dynamic cycle condition test of a 4.5 kW fuel cell stack, the performance attenuation and individual cell voltage uniformity of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack was evaluated synthetically. The performance decay period of the fuel cell stack was 180–600 h, the decrease of voltage and power was evaluated by rate and amplitude. The results show that the performance of the fuel cell stack decreased with the increase of test time and current density. When the test was carried out to 600 h, under rated operating conditions, the voltage attenuation rate was 130 μV/h, and the voltage reduced by 71 mV, with a decrease of 10.41%. The power attenuation rate was 0.8 W/h, with a decrease of 10.42%. The statistical parameter variation coefficient was used to characterize the voltage consistency of individual cells. It was found that the voltage uniformity is worse at the high current density point and with a long-running process. The variation coefficient was 3.1% in the worst performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Electrolytes Membranes)
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