US EPA

4001253 

Journal Article 

Preparation and characterization of nonaqueous proton-conducting membranes with protic ionic liquids 

Lu, F; Gao, X; Yan, X; Gao, H; Shi, L; Jia, H; Zheng, L 

2013 

1 

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
ISSN: 1944-8244
EISSN: 1944-8252 

5 

15 

7626-7632 

English 

23855417 

10.1021/am401940y 

WOS:000323241100116 

Hybrid Nafion membranes were successfully fabricated by incorporating with protic imidazolium ionic liquids 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([MimAE]Cl), 1-(2-hydroxylethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([MimHE]Cl), and 1-carboxylmethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([MimCM]Cl) for high-temperature fuel cells. The composite membranes were characterized by impedance spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The incorporated protic ionic liquids enhance the doping of phosphoric acid (PA) and result in a relatively high ionic conductivity. The Nafion/10 wt % [MimAE]Cl/PA composite membrane exhibits an ionic conductivity of 6.0 mS/cm at 130 °C without humidification. [MimAE]Cl can swell the Nafion matrix more homogeneously than [MimHE]Cl or [MimCM]Cl, which results in a better ionic conductivity. It is notable that the composite Nafion/IL/PA membranes have a better thermal stability than the pristine Nafion membranes.