New Composite Proton-Conducting Membranes Based on Nafion and Cross-Linked Sulfonated Polystyrene

• Published in: Russian journal of electrochemistry Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 318 - 323
• Main Authors: Arslanova, A. A., Sanginov, E. A., Dobrovol’skii, Yu. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-03-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Crosslinking; Divinylbenzene; Electrochemistry; Membranes; Moisture content; Physical Chemistry; Polystyrene resins; Short Communications; composites; sulfonated polystyrene; proton conductivity; Nafion; proton-conducting membranes
• ISSN: 1023-1935; 1608-3342
• DOI: 10.1134/S1023193518030035

New composite membranes based on commercial perfluorinated Nafion-115 membrane and cross-linked sulfonated polystyrene were synthesized and investigated. The membranes were prepared by radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of a cross-linking agent divinylbenzene in Nafion polymer matrix and subsequent sulfonation of formed polystyrene. The membranes containing approximately 5 and 10 wt % of cross-linked polystyrene with ion-exchange capacity of 1.1 to 1.3 mg-eq/g were obtained. Modification with sulfonated polystyrene leads to an increase in the moisture content and proton conductivity of membranes in the humidity range of 15 to 100 RH.