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Nanosulfonated silica incorporated SPEEK/SPVdF-HFP polymer blend membrane for PEM fuel cell application

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Abstract

Sulfonated silica particles are admixed with sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/sulfonated poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (SPVdF-HFP), with various ratios by means of solvent casting. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) were employed for characterizing the polymer electrolytes. Physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations such as ion exchange capacity, water uptake, swelling ratio, lambda values, temperature-dependent proton conductivity, and performance for prepared polymer composites are also analyzed. From the XRD and FTIR confirms the phase analysis and complex formation of the prepared polymer electrolytes. For 6 wt% S-SiO2, incorporated polymer membrane shows the high water uptake (36.5%), swelling ratio (15.9%), and ion exchange capacity (1.70 meq g−1) values compared to the respective samples. The highest proton conductivity value obtained for the 6 wt% S-SiO2 incorporated polymer membrane of 80 wt% SPEEK-20 wt% SPVdF-HFP is 7.9 × 10−2 S cm−1. The current density and power density value of 354 mA cm−2 and 110 mW cm−2 with an OCV of 0.95 V at 90 °C under the 100% RH.

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Funding

Funded by DST-SERB (EEQ/2017/000033), New Delhi, dated 26 Mar 2018 and MHRD–RUSA PHASE–2.0 (Letter no. F.24-51/2014-U), New Delhi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India

    P. Martina, R. Gayathri, M. Raja Pugalenthi & M. Ramesh Prabhu

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Guozhong Cao & Chaofeng Liu

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  1. P. Martina
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  2. R. Gayathri
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Correspondence to M. Ramesh Prabhu.

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Martina, P., Gayathri, R., Pugalenthi, M.R. et al. Nanosulfonated silica incorporated SPEEK/SPVdF-HFP polymer blend membrane for PEM fuel cell application. Ionics 26, 3447–3458 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-020-03478-9

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