Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 51254

Special Issue Editors

Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Interests: electrode and electrolyte materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion (batteries and fuel cells); ionic liquids; nanocomposite polymer membranes; gel polymer electrolytes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Fuel Cell Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Interests: polymer synthesis and characterization; membrane fabrication; membrane electrode assembly; fuel cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to submit your contribution to the Special Issue “Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications” in Polymers.

This Special Issue aims at highlighting the fast progress in the field of functional polymers and the strict relationship between their usefulness and electrochemistry, both in terms of synthesis and applications. Electrochemically synthesized and electroactive polymers, indeed, owe their success to their ability to host redox processes, fundamental for the development of many important technologies. These comprise devices related to energy (conversion, production, and storage), water (purification and remediation), sensing, environmental monitoring and CO2 reduction, and surface protection.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to fundamental and applied research on:

  • Single ion conducting polymers
  • Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes and their electrode interfaces
  • Gel polymer electrolytes for energy storage and conversion devices
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers
  • Proton- and alkali-exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells and electrolysis systems
  • Novel and bio-inspired polymer separators and binders in electrochemical systems
  • Metallopolymer materials with electrochemiluminescence properties
  • Innovative sensors and actuators based on polymeric materials
  • Polymeric coating and cleaning systems against electrochemical corrosion
  • Conductivity and transport mechanisms within polymer systems
  • Spectroscopic and electrical properties of functional polymer materials
  • Thermal and mechanical features of polymer-based membranes and separators

Prof. Maria Navarra
Dr. Dongwon Shin
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (19 papers)

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13 pages, 3804 KiB  
Article
Geometrical and Electronic Analysis of Polyepoxysuccinic Acid (PESA) for Iron Sulfide Scale Inhibition in Oil Wells
by Patricia Magadia, Samah Abdulla, Elkhansa Elbashier, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Mazen Khaled and Mohammed Saad
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5433; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14245433 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1217
Abstract
Scale formation causes major losses in oil wells, related to production and equipment damages. Thus, it is important to develop effective materials to prevent scale formation and inhibit any additional formation. One known environmentally friendly material with promising performance for scale inhibition is [...] Read more.
Scale formation causes major losses in oil wells, related to production and equipment damages. Thus, it is important to develop effective materials to prevent scale formation and inhibit any additional formation. One known environmentally friendly material with promising performance for scale inhibition is polyepoxysuccinic acid (PESA). However, the performance and further development of any scale treatment chemical is highly affected by its electronic structure and behavior. Thus, this paper aims to obtain insights into the kinetics and thermodynamics of the chemical reactions during scale inhibition by investigating the geometrical and electronic structure of PESA. Density Functional Theory (B3LYP/6–31 g (d)-lanl2dz) was used to study the structure of PESA, considering different forms of PESA and their corresponding binding affinities and chemical behaviors. The scale is represented as FeII ions, and PESA is modeled as (n = 1, and 2). Three conditions of PESA were considered: the standard form, the form with a modified electron donating group (R- = CH3-), and ammonium salt of PESA (M+ = NH4+). The results showed that PESA has a high binding affinity to FeII, comparable to known chelating agents, with the highest binding affinity for ammonium salt of PESA with the CH3- donating group (−1530 kJ/mol). The molecular orbitals (MO), electron affinity (EA), and charge analysis further explained the findings. The HOMO-LUMO gap and EA results revealed the high reactivity and thermodynamic stability of all forms of PESA. In addition, the ammonium salt form of PESA with the electron donating group performs better, as it has a greater overall negative charge in the compounds. Furthermore, the NH4+ cationic group tends to lower the value of the HOMO orbital, which increases the inhibition performance of PESA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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10 pages, 2126 KiB  
Article
Removal of Copper Corrosion Products by Using Green Deep Eutectic Solvent and Bio-Derivative Cellulose Membrane
by Akiko Tsurumaki, Cristina Chiarucci, Shraddha Khaire, Chiara Dal Bosco, Alessandra Gentili and Maria Assunta Navarra
Polymers 2022, 14(11), 2284; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14112284 - 04 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1849
Abstract
A safe and environmentally friendly material for corrosion removal from metals is proposed in this article. Electrochemically corroded copper was selected as a target material, and a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride and ascorbic acid, in a molar ratio of [...] Read more.
A safe and environmentally friendly material for corrosion removal from metals is proposed in this article. Electrochemically corroded copper was selected as a target material, and a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride and ascorbic acid, in a molar ratio of 2:1, was developed to this end. Aqueous solutions of the DES with a concentration above 70 wt% were found to be effective in the dissolution of patina and less aggressive towards other materials such as CaCO3, which is the main component of limestone. These concentrated DES solutions were integrated with either cotton swabs or cellulose-based membranes and used for the cleaning of electrochemically corroded copper. The membrane containing 80 wt% DES aqueous solution exhibited the most desirable cleaning ability in terms of speed and area selectivity. X-ray diffraction analysis of the corroded copper before and after the application of the membrane was performed to demonstrate the successful corrosion removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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14 pages, 18204 KiB  
Article
Potential Use of Chitosan-TiO2 Nanocomposites for the Electroanalytical Detection of Imidacloprid
by Blanca Estela Castillo, Evgen Prokhorov, Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas and Yuriy Kovalenko
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1686; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14091686 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
The detection of toxic insecticides is a major scientific and technological challenge. In this regard, imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid that is a systemic insecticide that can accumulate in agricultural products and affect human health. This work aims to study the properties of chitosan–TiO [...] Read more.
The detection of toxic insecticides is a major scientific and technological challenge. In this regard, imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid that is a systemic insecticide that can accumulate in agricultural products and affect human health. This work aims to study the properties of chitosan–TiO2 nanocomposites in which nanoparticles with high surface area serve as molecular recognition sites for electroanalytical imidacloprid detection. We show that the best sensitivity to imidacloprid was obtained using a modified electrode with a chitosan–TiO2 nanocomposite with a 40 wt.% of TiO2 nanoparticles. By using a three-phase effective permittivity model which includes chitosan, TiO2, an interface layer between nanoparticles and a matrix, we showed that nanocomposites with 40 wt.% of TiO2 the interface volume fraction reaches a maximum. At higher nanoparticle concentration, the sensitivity of the sensor decreases due to the decreasing of the interface volume fraction, agglomeration of nanoparticles and a decrease in their effective surface area. The methodology presented can be helpful in the design and optimization of polymer-based nanocomposites for a variety of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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19 pages, 4611 KiB  
Article
Zirconia Toughened Alumina-Based Separator Membrane for Advanced Alkaline Water Electrolyzer
by Muhammad Farjad Ali, Hae In Lee, Christian Immanuel Bernäcker, Thomas Weißgärber, Sechan Lee, Sang-Kyung Kim and Won-Chul Cho
Polymers 2022, 14(6), 1173; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14061173 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4834
Abstract
Hydrogen is nowadays considered a favorable and attractive energy carrier fuel to replace other fuels that cause global warming problems. Water electrolysis has attracted the attention of researchers to produce green hydrogen mainly for the accumulation of renewable energy. Hydrogen can be safely [...] Read more.
Hydrogen is nowadays considered a favorable and attractive energy carrier fuel to replace other fuels that cause global warming problems. Water electrolysis has attracted the attention of researchers to produce green hydrogen mainly for the accumulation of renewable energy. Hydrogen can be safely used as a bridge to successfully connect the energy demand and supply divisions. An alkaline water electrolysis system owing to its low cost can efficiently use renewable energy sources on large scale. Normally organic/inorganic composite porous separator membranes have been employed as a membrane for alkaline water electrolyzers. However, the separator membranes exhibit high ionic resistance and low gas resistance values, resulting in lower efficiency and raised safety issues as well. Here, in this study, we report that zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA)–based separator membrane exhibits less ohmic resistance 0.15 Ω·cm2 and low hydrogen gas permeability 10.7 × 10−12 mol cm−1 s−1 bar−1 in 30 wt.% KOH solution, which outperforms the commercial, state-of-the-art Zirfon® PERL separator. The cell containing ZTA and advanced catalysts exhibit an excellent performance of 2.1 V at 2000 mA/cm2 at 30 wt.% KOH and 80 °C, which is comparable with PEM electrolysis. These improved results show that AWEs equipped with ZTA separators could be superior in performance to PEM electrolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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13 pages, 2498 KiB  
Article
Diffusion- and Chemometric-Based Separation of Complex Electrochemical Signals That Originated from Multiple Redox-Active Molecules
by Stav Biton Hayun, Rajendra P. Shukla and Hadar Ben-Yoav
Polymers 2022, 14(4), 717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14040717 - 13 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2614
Abstract
In situ analysis of multiple biomarkers in the body provides better diagnosis and enables personalized health management. Since many of these biomarkers are redox-active, electrochemical sensors have shown promising analytical capabilities to measure multiple redox-active molecules. However, the analytical performance of electrochemical sensors [...] Read more.
In situ analysis of multiple biomarkers in the body provides better diagnosis and enables personalized health management. Since many of these biomarkers are redox-active, electrochemical sensors have shown promising analytical capabilities to measure multiple redox-active molecules. However, the analytical performance of electrochemical sensors rapidly decreases in the presence of multicomponent biofluids due to their limited ability to separate overlapping electrochemical signals generated by multiple molecules. Here we report a novel approach to use charged chitosan-modified electrodes to alter the diffusion of ascorbic acid, clozapine, L-homocysteine, and uric acid—test molecules with various molecular charges and molecular weights. Moreover, we present a complementary approach to use chemometrics to decipher the complex set of overlapping signals generated from a mixture of differentially charged redox molecules. The partial least square regression model predicted three out of four redox-active molecules with root mean square error, Pearson correlation coefficient, and R-squared values of 125 µM, 0.947, and 0.894; 51.8 µM, 0.877, and 0.753; 55.7 µM, 0.903, and 0.809, respectively. By further enhancing our understanding of the diffusion of redox-active molecules in chitosan, the in-situ separation of multiple molecules can be enabled, which will be used to establish guidelines for the effective separation of biomarkers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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10 pages, 3180 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Electrochemical Detection of Gluten with Surface Modification Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Combined with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
by Dalawan Limthin, Piyawan Leepheng, Annop Klamchuen and Darinee Phromyothin
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 91; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14010091 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2595
Abstract
Novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a selectively recognized technique for electrochemical detection design. This rapid and simple method prepared via chemical synthesis consists of a monomer crosslinked with an initiator, whereas low sensitivity remains a drawback. Nanomaterials can improve charge transfer for [...] Read more.
Novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a selectively recognized technique for electrochemical detection design. This rapid and simple method prepared via chemical synthesis consists of a monomer crosslinked with an initiator, whereas low sensitivity remains a drawback. Nanomaterials can improve charge transfer for MIP surface modification in order to overcome this problem. SPIONs have semiconductor and superparamagnetic properties that can enhance carrier mobility, causing high sensitivity of electrochemical detection. In this work, surface modification was achieved with a combination of MIP and SPIONs for gluten detection. The SPIONs were synthesized via the chemical co-precipitation method and mixed with MIPs by polymerizing gluten and methyl methacrylate (MMA), presented as a template and a monomer. Magnetic MIP (MMIP) was modified on a carbon-plate electrode. The morphology of modified electrode surfaces was determined by scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The performance of the MMIP electrode was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The MMIP electrode for gluten detection shows a dynamic linear range of 5–50 ppm, with a correlation coefficient of 0.994 and a low detection limit of 1.50 ppm, which is less than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements (20 ppm); moreover, it exhibits excellent selectivity, sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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11 pages, 2283 KiB  
Article
Increase of Solid Polymer Electrolyte Ionic Conductivity Using Nano-SiO2 Synthesized from Sugarcane Bagasse as Filler
by Yatim Lailun Ni’mah, Zakkiyyah Hidayatul Muhaiminah and Suprapto Suprapto
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4240; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234240 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2822
Abstract
The synthesize of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) based on polyethylene oxide (PEO), NaClO4 and nano-SiO2 was carried out by solution cast technique. Nano-SiO2 was synthesized from sugarcane bagasse using sol-gel method. FTIR analysis was carried out to investigate the bonding [...] Read more.
The synthesize of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) based on polyethylene oxide (PEO), NaClO4 and nano-SiO2 was carried out by solution cast technique. Nano-SiO2 was synthesized from sugarcane bagasse using sol-gel method. FTIR analysis was carried out to investigate the bonding between nano-SiO2 and PEO/NaClO4. The morphology of the SPE was characterized using SEM. XRD and DSC analysis showed that SPE crystallinity decreased as nano-SiO2 concentration was increased. Mechanical analyses were conducted to characterize the SPE tensile strength and elongation at break. EIS analysis was conducted to measure SPE ionic conductivity. The PEO/NaClO4 SPE with the addition of 5% nano-SiO2 from sugarcane bagasse at 60 °C produced SPE with the highest ionic conductivity, 1.18 × 10−6 S/cm. It was concluded that the addition of nano-SiO2 increased ionic conductivity and interface stability at the solid polymer electrolyte-PEO/NaClO4. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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19 pages, 9539 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Plasticized Lithium Ion Conducting Green Polymer Blend Electrolytes Based on CS: Dextran with High Energy Density and Specific Capacitance
by Elham M. A. Dannoun, Shujahadeen B. Aziz, Sozan N. Abdullah, Muaffaq M. Nofal, Khaled H. Mahmoud, Ary R. Murad, Ranjdar M. Abdullah and Mohd. F. Z. Kadir
Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3613; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213613 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
The solution cast process is used to set up chitosan: dextran-based plasticized solid polymer electrolyte with high specific capacitance (228.62 F/g) at the 1st cycle. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) pattern revealed the interaction between polymers and electrolyte components. At ambient temperature, the highest [...] Read more.
The solution cast process is used to set up chitosan: dextran-based plasticized solid polymer electrolyte with high specific capacitance (228.62 F/g) at the 1st cycle. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) pattern revealed the interaction between polymers and electrolyte components. At ambient temperature, the highest conductive plasticized system (CDLG–3) achieves a maximum conductivity of 4.16 × 10−4 S cm−1. Using both FTIR and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods, the mobility, number density, and diffusion coefficient of ions are measured, and they are found to rise as the amount of glycerol increases. Ions are the primary charge carriers, according to transference number measurement (TNM). According to linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), the CDLG–3 system’s electrochemical stability window is 2.2 V. In the preparation of electrical double layer capacitor devices, the CDLG–3 system was used. There are no Faradaic peaks on the cyclic voltammetry (CV) curve, which is virtually rectangular. Beyond the 20th cycle, the power density, energy density, and specific capacitance values from the galvanostatic charge–discharge are practically constant at 480 W/Kg, 8 Wh/Kg, and 60 F g−1, for 180 cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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23 pages, 14729 KiB  
Article
High Cyclability Energy Storage Device with Optimized Hydroxyethyl Cellulose-Dextran-Based Polymer Electrolytes: Structural, Electrical and Electrochemical Investigations
by Muhammad A. S. Azha, Elham M. A. Dannoun, Shujahadeen B. Aziz, Mohd F. Z. Kadir, Zaki Ismail Zaki, Zeinhom M. El-Bahy, Mazdida Sulaiman and Muaffaq M. Nofal
Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3602; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13203602 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1729
Abstract
The preparation of a dextran (Dex)-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) blend impregnated with ammonium bromide (NH4Br) is done via the solution cast method. The phases due to crystalline and amorphous regions were separated and used to estimate the degree of crystallinity. The most [...] Read more.
The preparation of a dextran (Dex)-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) blend impregnated with ammonium bromide (NH4Br) is done via the solution cast method. The phases due to crystalline and amorphous regions were separated and used to estimate the degree of crystallinity. The most amorphous blend was discovered to be a blend of 40 wt% Dex and 60 wt% HEC. This polymer blend serves as the channel for ions to be conducted and electrodes separator. The conductivity has been optimized at (1.47 ± 0.12) × 10−4 S cm−1 with 20 wt% NH4Br. The EIS plots were fitted with EEC circuits. The DC conductivity against 1000/T follows the Arrhenius model. The highest conducting electrolyte possesses an ionic number density and mobility of 1.58 × 1021 cm−3 and 6.27 × 10−7 V−1s−1 cm2, respectively. The TNM and LSV investigations were carried out on the highest conducting system. A non-Faradic behavior was predicted from the CV pattern. The fabricated electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) achieved 8000 cycles, with a specific capacitance, internal resistance, energy density, and power density of 31.7 F g−1, 80 Ω, 3.18 Wh kg−1, and 922.22 W kg−1, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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12 pages, 5796 KiB  
Article
The Synthesis of a Covalent Organic Framework from Thiophene Armed Triazine and EDOT and Its Application as Anode Material in Lithium-Ion Battery
by Shuang Chen, Shukun Wang, Xin Xue, Jinsheng Zhao and Hongmei Du
Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3300; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193300 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2256
Abstract
As a class of redox active materials with some preferable properties, including rigid structure, insoluble characters, and large amounts of nitrogen atoms, covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have been frequently adopted as electrode materials in Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a triazine-based covalent organic framework [...] Read more.
As a class of redox active materials with some preferable properties, including rigid structure, insoluble characters, and large amounts of nitrogen atoms, covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have been frequently adopted as electrode materials in Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a triazine-based covalent organic framework employing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as the bridging unit is synthesized by the presence of carbon powder through Stille coupling reaction. The carbon powder was added in an in-situ manner to overcome the low intrinsic conductivity of the polymer, which led to the formation of the polymer@C composite (PTT-O@C, PTT-O is a type of CTFs). The composite material is then employed in LIBs as anode material. The designed polymer shows a narrow band gap of 1.84 eV, proving the effectiveness of the nitrogen-enriched triazine unit in reducing the band gap of the resultant polymers. The CV results showed that the redox potential of the composite (vs. Li/Li+) is around 1.0 V, which makes it suitable to be used as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The composite material could exhibit the stable specific capacity of 645 mAh/g at 100 mA/g and 435 mAh/g at 500 mA/g, respectively, much higher than the pure carbon materials, indicating the good reversibility of the material. This work provides some additional information on electrochemical performance of the triazine and EDOT based CTFs, which is helpful for developing a deep understanding of the structure–performance correlations of the CTFs as anode materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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12 pages, 3321 KiB  
Article
Blended Anion Exchange Membranes for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
by Tae Yang Son, Kwang Seop Im, Ha Neul Jung and Sang Yong Nam
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2827; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13162827 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2429
Abstract
In this study, blended anion exchange membranes were prepared using polyphenylene oxide containing quaternary ammonium groups and polyvinylidene fluoride. A polyvinylidene fluoride with high hydrophobicity was blended in to lower the vanadium ion permeability, which increased when the hydrophilicity increased. At the same [...] Read more.
In this study, blended anion exchange membranes were prepared using polyphenylene oxide containing quaternary ammonium groups and polyvinylidene fluoride. A polyvinylidene fluoride with high hydrophobicity was blended in to lower the vanadium ion permeability, which increased when the hydrophilicity increased. At the same time, the dimensional stability also improved due to the excellent physical properties of polyvinylidene fluoride. Subsequently, permeation of the vanadium ions was prevented due to the positive charge of the anion exchange membrane, and thus the permeability was relatively lower than that of a commercial proton exchange membrane. Due to the above properties, the self-discharge of the blended anion exchange membrane (30.1 h for QA–PPO/PVDF(2/8)) was also lower than that of the commercial proton exchange membrane (27.9 h for Nafion), and it was confirmed that it was an applicable candidate for vanadium redox flow batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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14 pages, 4298 KiB  
Article
Nafion/Surface Modified Ceria Hybrid Membranes for Fuel Cell Application
by Polina A. Yurova, Viktoria R. Malakhova, Ekaterina V. Gerasimova, Irina A. Stenina and Andrey B. Yaroslavtsev
Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13152513 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2994
Abstract
Low chemical durability of proton exchange membranes is one the main factors limiting their lifetime in fuel cells. Ceria nanoparticles are the most common free radical scavengers. In this work, hybrid membranes based on Nafion-117 membrane and sulfonic or phosphoric acid functionalized ceria [...] Read more.
Low chemical durability of proton exchange membranes is one the main factors limiting their lifetime in fuel cells. Ceria nanoparticles are the most common free radical scavengers. In this work, hybrid membranes based on Nafion-117 membrane and sulfonic or phosphoric acid functionalized ceria synthesized from various precursors were prepared by the in situ method for the first time. Ceria introduction led to a slight decrease in conductivity of hybrid membranes in contact with water. At the same time, conductivity of membranes containing sulfonic acid modified ceria exceeded that of the pristine Nafion-117 membrane at 30% relative humidity (RH). Hydrogen permeability decreased for composite membranes with ceria synthesized from cerium (III) nitrate, which correlates with their water uptake. In hydrogen-air fuel cells, membrane electrode assembly fabricated with the hybrid membrane containing ceria synthesized from cerium (IV) sulfate exhibited a peak power density of 433 mW/cm2 at a current density of 1080 mA/cm2, while operating at 60 °C and 70% RH. It was 1.5 times higher than for the pristine Nafion-117 membrane (287 mW/cm2 at a current density of 714 mA/cm2). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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17 pages, 5458 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Physicochemical Properties and Single Cell Performance of Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether) (SPAE) Membrane by Incorporation of Phosphotungstic Acid and Graphene Oxide: A Potential Electrolyte for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
by Sung Kwan Ryu, Ae Rhan Kim, Mohanraj Vinothkannan, Kyu Ha Lee, Ji Young Chu and Dong Jin Yoo
Polymers 2021, 13(14), 2364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13142364 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2146
Abstract
The development of potential and novel proton exchange membranes (PEMs) is imperative for the further commercialization of PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this work, phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and graphene oxide (GO) were integrated into sulfonated poly(arylene ether) (SPAE) through a solution casting approach [...] Read more.
The development of potential and novel proton exchange membranes (PEMs) is imperative for the further commercialization of PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this work, phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and graphene oxide (GO) were integrated into sulfonated poly(arylene ether) (SPAE) through a solution casting approach to create a potential composite membrane for PEMFC applications. Thermal stability of membranes was observed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the SPAE/GO/PWA membranes exhibited high thermal stability compared to pristine SPAE membranes, owing to the interaction between SPAEK, GO, and PWA. By using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), we observed that GO and PWA were evenly distributed throughout the SPAE matrix. The SPAE/GO/PWA composite membrane comprising 0.7 wt% GO and 36 wt% PWA exhibited a maximum proton conductivity of 186.3 mS cm−1 at 90 °C under 100% relative humidity (RH). As a result, SPAE/GO/PWA composite membrane exhibited 193.3 mW cm−2 of the maximum power density at 70 °C under 100% RH in PEMFCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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11 pages, 3283 KiB  
Article
Structure–Property Relationship of Polymerized Ionic Liquids for Solid-State Electrolyte Membranes
by Robert Löwe, Thomas Hanemann, Tatiana Zinkevich and Andreas Hofmann
Polymers 2021, 13(5), 792; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13050792 - 04 Mar 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2273
Abstract
Eight new polymerized ammonium-based ionic liquids were prepared as thin membrane films and evaluated within the scope of their usage in lithium-ion batteries. The focus of this work is to get a better understanding of the influence of structural modifications of the monomers [...] Read more.
Eight new polymerized ammonium-based ionic liquids were prepared as thin membrane films and evaluated within the scope of their usage in lithium-ion batteries. The focus of this work is to get a better understanding of the influence of structural modifications of the monomers on the polymerized materials. Further, different concentrations of a lithium-ion conducting salt were applied in order to receive an optimized combination of monomer structure and lithium salt concentration. It was found that an increased side chain length of the studied ammonium-based polymerized ionic liquids leads to a reduction in glass transition temperatures and increased ionic conductivity values. As a result of the addition of conducting salt to the PIL membranes, the glass transition temperatures and the ionic conductivity values decreases. Nevertheless, PFG-NMR reveals a higher lithium-ion mobility for a sample with higher conducting salt content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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15 pages, 2816 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Stability Improvement of Non-Toxic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells via Poly(ethylene oxide) Gel Electrolytes for Future Textile-Based Solar Cells
by Jan Lukas Storck, Marius Dotter, Sonia Adabra, Michelle Surjawidjaja, Bennet Brockhagen and Timo Grothe
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 3035; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12123035 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2273
Abstract
To overcome the long-term stability problems of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) due to solvent evaporation and leakage, gelling the electrolyte with polymers is an appropriate option. Especially for future applications of textile-based DSSCs, which require cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials, such an improvement [...] Read more.
To overcome the long-term stability problems of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) due to solvent evaporation and leakage, gelling the electrolyte with polymers is an appropriate option. Especially for future applications of textile-based DSSCs, which require cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials, such an improvement of the electrolyte is necessary. Therefore, the temporal progressions of efficiencies and fill factors of non-toxic glass-based DSSCs resulting from different gel electrolytes with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are investigated over 52 days comparatively. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) proved to be a suitable non-toxic solvent for the proposed gel electrolyte without ionic liquids. A PEO concentration of 17.4 wt% resulted in an optimal compromise with a relatively high efficiency over the entire period. Lower concentrations resulted in higher efficiencies during the first days but in a poorer long-term stability, whereas a higher PEO concentration resulted in an overall lower efficiency. Solvent remaining in the gel electrolyte during application was found advantageous compared to previous solvent evaporation. In contrast to a commercial liquid electrolyte, the long-term stability regarding the efficiency was improved successfully with a similar fill factor and thus equal quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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11 pages, 4979 KiB  
Article
Cerium Oxide–Polysulfone Composite Separator for an Advanced Alkaline Electrolyzer
by Jung Won Lee, ChangSoo Lee, Jae Hun Lee, Sang-Kyung Kim, Hyun-Seok Cho, MinJoong Kim, Won Chul Cho, Jong Hoon Joo and Chang-Hee Kim
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2821; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12122821 - 27 Nov 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3880
Abstract
The intermittent and volatile nature of renewable energy sources threatens the stable operation of power grids, necessitating dynamically operated energy storage. Power-to-gas technology is a promising method for managing electricity variations on a large gigawatt (GW) scale. The electrolyzer is a key component [...] Read more.
The intermittent and volatile nature of renewable energy sources threatens the stable operation of power grids, necessitating dynamically operated energy storage. Power-to-gas technology is a promising method for managing electricity variations on a large gigawatt (GW) scale. The electrolyzer is a key component that can convert excess electricity into hydrogen with high flexibility. Recently, organic/inorganic composite separators have been widely used as diaphragm membranes; however, they are prone to increase ohmic resistance and gas crossover, which inhibit electrolyzer efficiency. Here, we show that the ceria nanoparticle and polysulfone composite separator exhibits a low area resistance of 0.16 Ω cm2 and a hydrogen permeability of 1.2 × 10–12 mol cm–1 s–1 bar–1 in 30 wt% potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte, which outperformed the commercial separator, the Zirfon PERL separator. The cell using a 100 nm ceria nanoparticle/polysulfone separator and advanced catalysts has a remarkable capability of 1.84 V at 800 mA cm−2 at 30 wt% and 80 °C. The decrease in the average pore size of 77 nm and high wettability (contact angle 75°) contributed to the reduced ohmic resistance and low gas crossover. These results demonstrate that the use of ceria nanoparticle-based separators can achieve high performance compared to commercial zirconia-based separators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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15 pages, 33139 KiB  
Article
Crosslinked Pore-Filling Anion Exchange Membrane Using the Cylindrical Centrifugal Force for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell System
by Tae Yang Son, Tae-Hyun Kim and Sang Yong Nam
Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2758; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12112758 - 23 Nov 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3875
Abstract
In this study, novel crosslinked pore-filling membranes were fabricated by using a centrifugal force from the cylindrical centrifugal machine. For preparing these crosslinked pore-filling membranes, the poly(phenylene oxide) containing long side chains to improve the water management (hydrophilic), porous polyethylene support (hydrophobic) and [...] Read more.
In this study, novel crosslinked pore-filling membranes were fabricated by using a centrifugal force from the cylindrical centrifugal machine. For preparing these crosslinked pore-filling membranes, the poly(phenylene oxide) containing long side chains to improve the water management (hydrophilic), porous polyethylene support (hydrophobic) and crosslinker based on the diamine were used. The resulting membranes showed a uniform thickness, flexible and transparent because it is well filled. Among them, PF-XAc-PPO70_25 showed good mechanical properties (56.1 MPa of tensile strength and 781.0 MPa of Young’s modulus) and dimensional stability due to the support. In addition, it has a high hydroxide conductivity (87.1 mS/cm at 80 °C) and low area specific resistance (0.040 Ω·cm2), at the same time showing stable alkaline stability. These data outperformed the commercial FAA-3-50 membrane sold by Fumatech in Germany. Based on the optimized properties, membrane electrode assembly using XAc-PPO70_25 revealed excellent cell performance (maximum power density: 239 mW/cm2 at 0.49 V) than those of commercial FAA-3-50 Fumatech anion exchange membrane (maximum power density: 212 mW/cm2 at 0.54 V) under the operating condition of 60 °C and 100% RH as well. It was expected that PF-XAc-PPO70_25 could be an excellent candidate based on the results superior to those of commercial membranes in these essential characteristics of fuel cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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20 pages, 5179 KiB  
Article
Synthetic Approaches for Poly(Phenylene) Block Copolymers via Nickel Coupling Reaction for Fuel Cell Applications
by Adam F. Nugraha, Songmi Kim, Farid Wijaya, Byungchan Bae and Dongwon Shin
Polymers 2020, 12(7), 1614; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12071614 - 20 Jul 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4094
Abstract
Several methods to synthesize poly(phenylene) block copolymers through the nickel coupling reaction were attempted to reduce the use of expensive nickel catalysts in polymerization. The model reaction for poly(phenylene) having different types of dichlorobenzene derivative monomers illustrated the potential use of cost-effective catalysts, [...] Read more.
Several methods to synthesize poly(phenylene) block copolymers through the nickel coupling reaction were attempted to reduce the use of expensive nickel catalysts in polymerization. The model reaction for poly(phenylene) having different types of dichlorobenzene derivative monomers illustrated the potential use of cost-effective catalysts, such as NiBr2 and NiCl2, as alternatives to more expensive catalysts (e.g., bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) (Ni(COD)2)). By catalyzing the polymerization of multi-block poly(phenylene) with NiBr2 and NiCl2, random copolymers with similar molecular weights could be prepared. However, these catalysts did not result in a high-molecular-weight polymer, limiting their wide scale application. Further, the amount of Ni(COD)2 could be reduced in this study by approximately 50% to synthesize poly(phenylene) multi-block copolymers, representing significant cost savings. Gel permeation chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance results showed that the degree of polymerization and ion exchange capacity of the copolymers were almost the same as those achieved through conventional polymerization using 2.5 times as much Ni(COD)2. The flexible quaternized membrane showed higher chloride ion conductivity than commercial Fumatech membranes with comparable water uptake and promising chemical stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 1742 KiB  
Review
Perspective on Nanofiber Electrochemical Sensors: Design of Relative Selectivity Experiments
by Stanley G. Feeney, Joelle M. J. LaFreniere and Jeffrey Mark Halpern
Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213706 - 27 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2360
Abstract
The use of nanofibers creates the ability for non-enzymatic sensing in various applications and greatly improves the sensitivity, speed, and accuracy of electrochemical sensors for a wide variety of analytes. The high surface area to volume ratio of the fibers as well as [...] Read more.
The use of nanofibers creates the ability for non-enzymatic sensing in various applications and greatly improves the sensitivity, speed, and accuracy of electrochemical sensors for a wide variety of analytes. The high surface area to volume ratio of the fibers as well as their high porosity, even when compared to other common nanostructures, allows for enhanced electrocatalytic, adsorptive, and analyte-specific recognition mechanisms. Nanofibers have the potential to rival and replace materials used in electrochemical sensing. As more types of nanofibers are developed and tested for new applications, more consistent and refined selectivity experiments are needed. We applied this idea in a review of interferant control experiments and real sample analyses. The goal of this review is to provide guidelines for acceptable nanofiber sensor selectivity experiments with considerations for electrocatalytic, adsorptive, and analyte-specific recognition mechanisms. The intended presented review and guidelines will be of particular use to junior researchers designing their first control experiments, but could be used as a reference for anyone designing selectivity experiments for non-enzymatic sensors including nanofibers. We indicate the importance of testing both interferants in complex media and mechanistic interferants in the selectivity analysis of newly developed nanofiber sensor surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Electrochemical Applications)
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