Blending poly(imidazolium)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as anion exchange membranefuel cells (AEMFCs)

Fuel cells are devices that can create electrical energy from chemical energy generated by fuel- oxidantreactions. During the procedure, just water is created. Fuel cells are largely regarded as eco-friendlyenergy sources for the twenty-first century. The role of an AEM is to conduct hydroxyl ions at very highrates from the cathode to the anode where reduction and oxidation of O۲ and H۲ occur. The AEM andits integration with the electrodes form the heart of the alkaline fuel cell. The disadvantage of AEMs istheir low ionic conductivity compared to PEMs because OH- has a lower diffusion coefficient than H+[۱-۲]. In this study, the desired poly(arylene−imidazolium)s were synthesized from the reaction ofimidazolium monomers and ۴,۴'-dichloro diphenyl sulfone based on aromatic nucleophilic substitution(Scheme ۱). The desired membranes with suitable mechanical properties for use in alkaline fuel cellsand alkaline water electrolysis were prepared from the synthesized polymers in combination withpoly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as polymer blends. The synthesis of polymers was confirmed by FT-IR,۱H-NMR, and Elemental analysis. X- ray diffraction was measured to investigate the nature of thesynthesized polymers.The morphology of the designed membranes was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The thermal properties of the PAIm۱/PVP and PAIm۲/PVP membranes were studied usingdifferential scanning calorimetry (DSC) which indicated excellent thermal stability and miscibility. Thephotographs of the membrane are shown in Figure ۱.