Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nagaraju Niluroutu, Avanish Shukla, Vishal M. Dhavale, Sreekuttan M. Unni, Santoshkumar D. Bhat
Summary: The composite membrane of sPEEK and PSSA-f-MCM-41 shows improved physio-chemical properties, reduced methanol permeability, and higher electrochemical selectivity, resulting in better DMFC performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Michael Moore, Manas Mandal, Aslan Kosakian, Marc Secanell
Summary: The hydrogen pump technique is effective in measuring the effective protonic conductivity of intermediate layers (ILs) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. The technique can only be used for ILs that are inactive during the hydrogen reaction, as proton transport through the ionomer can be bypassed by transferring the charge to the electronic phase. This study uses numerical modeling and experimental testing to investigate the impact of IL hydrogen reaction activity, thickness, and electronic conductivity on the prediction of IL protonic conductivity.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Kosar Arab, Mahdi Tohidian, Amirsaeed Shamsabadi
Summary: In this study, nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membranes based on sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) and imidazole-2-acetic acid (Im) blend (SPSIm), incorporated with halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), were investigated for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. The optimal degree of sulfonation for PS was selected based on hydrolytic stability, and SPS was blended with Im to improve proton conductivity and decrease methanol permeability. The addition of HNTs further reduced methanol crossover by introducing tortuous diffusion pathways. The resulting SPSIm/HNT membrane showed significantly decreased methanol permeability and improved membrane selectivity parameter, making it a potential candidate for DMFC applications.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
N. Tarasova, A. Galisheva, I. Animitsa, D. Korona, K. Davletbaev
Summary: This study focuses on a novel material, BaLaIn0.5Y0.5O4, with significantly improved properties for clean energy applications. By introducing Y3+ ions into the perovskite layer, the oxygen ionic conductivity and protonic conductivity are both enhanced.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yuting Duan, Chunyu Ru, Jialin Li, Yi-nan Sun, Xingtong Pu, Binghui Liu, Bohao Pang, Chengji Zhao
Summary: The MNCS functionalized MOF showed promising potential in improving proton conductivity and power density in direct methanol fuel cells, due to its unique structure and interaction with the SPAEK membrane. The incorporation of MNCS in the hybrid membranes enhanced proton transport channels and overall membrane performance, demonstrating significant improvements over pristine membranes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Rabiranjan Murmu, Debashis Roy, Sarat Chandra Patra, Harekrushna Sutar, Pragyan Senapati
Summary: By filling the polymer membrane with silica, it is possible to increase the proton conductivity at medium to higher temperatures, reduce methanol permeability, and increase membrane selectivity, which is beneficial for the design of direct methanol fuel cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Livhuwani Modau, Rudzani Sigwadi, Touhami Mokrani, Fulufhelo Nemavhola
Summary: The purpose of this study was to identify the steps involved in fabricating silica/chitosan composite membranes and their suitability for fuel cell applications. The composite membranes were successfully modified with silica, showing exceptional results in terms of proton conductivity and methanol permeability.
Article
Electrochemistry
Amirsalar Bagherzadeh, Mahdi Tohidian, Yeganeh Mollamohammadi Sadafi, Amirsaeed Shamsabadi, Hesam Makki
Summary: Polyelectrolyte membranes (PEMs) containing chitosan and Nafion were prepared for DMFC application. The addition of Nafion increased the Tg and decreased the crystallinity of the chitosan matrix due to the interaction between -SO3H groups in Nafion and -NH2 groups in chitosan. The PEMs with higher Nafion loading weight exhibited higher proton conductivity and methanol permeability, and the membrane with 25 wt% Nafion showed comparable selectivity parameter to neat Nafion. A maximum power density of 39 mW cm(-2) was achieved for this membrane in DMFC performance test.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fangfang Wang, Dongjin Wang, Yuki Nagao
Summary: This study established new in situ measurements to investigate the OH- conductivity and water uptake properties of a model ionomer, revealing that thinner films had reduced OH- conductivity due to a lower number of water molecules present. The OH- conductivity only slightly decreased under the same water uptake.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lukka Thuyavan Yogarathinam, Juhana Jaafar, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Pei Sean Goh, Arthanareeswaran Gangasalam, Mohamad Fahrul Radzi Hanifah, Kar Chun Wong, Mahesan Naidu Subramaniam, Jerome Peter
Summary: Nanostructured materials, such as polyaniline coated activated boron nitride, have been embedded in sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) membranes to enhance proton conductivity and reduce methanol permeability in direct methanol fuel cell applications. The addition of functionalized boron nitride improves water uptake, ion exchange capacity, and chemical stability of the membranes, while significantly reducing methanol permeability. These nanocomposite membranes exhibit improved performance compared to commercial Nafion membranes, with higher open circuit voltage and power density.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhuang Rao, Airong Zhang, Xiaoling Liu, Deyu Zhu, Guoqing Wang, Minqiu Lan, Zhengyun Wang, Lipei Jiang, Beibei Tang, Hongfang Liu
Summary: Surface -SO3H and -NH2 acid-base pair modified graphene oxide (BAGO) was constructed by polydopamine (PDA) coating onto GO and reaction with 2,2'-benzidinedisulfonic acid (BA). The composite proton exchange membrane (PEM) with increased selectivity and enhanced proton conductivity and methanol barrier effect was prepared by incorporating BAGO into the Nafion matrix. The results showed improved performance of the composite PEM in terms of proton conductivity and power density in a direct methanol fuel cell.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Beom-Seok Kim, Jong-Hyeok Park, Jin-Soo Park
Summary: In this study, blended PFSA ionomers with different equivalent weights were prepared and studied for their applications in fuel cells. The results showed that blended ionomers exhibited higher ion conductivity and proton conduction ability, resulting in improved fuel cell performance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hazlina Junoh, Juhana Jaafar, Nik Abdul Hadi M. Nordin, Ahmad F. Ismail, Mohd H. D. Othman, Mukhlis A. Rahman, Farhana Aziz, Norhaniza Yusof, Syarifah Noor S. Sayed Daud
Summary: Porous poly ether sulfone (PES) membranes were prepared using two different solvents via dry/wet non-solvent phase inversion techniques, with membranes prepared using DMAc at 3 minutes solvent evaporation time showing desirable properties for proton conduction and methanol resistance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Ekaterina Yu. Safronova, Polina A. Yurova, Amir M. Ashrafi, Aleksandr V. Chernyak, Andrey V. Khoroshilov, Andrey B. Yaroslavtsev
Summary: The use of ultrasonic treatment combined with SiO2 nanoparticles in PFSA solutions can optimize the performance of hybrid membranes by improving water uptake and proton conductivity.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhiwei Wang, Hao Zheng, Jinyao Chen, Wei Wang, Furui Sun, Ya Cao
Summary: In this research, we investigated the relationship between the structural attributes of crosslinked PVA membranes and their properties for fuel cell applications. We found that the concentration of the crosslinking agent and the crosslinking temperature had a significant impact on the degree of crosslinking and crystallinity. The properties and structural attributes of the PVA membranes underwent coherent modifications under different crosslinking conditions.
Article
Polymer Science
Mustafa Kalay, Abidin Esidir, Mahmut Ruzi, N. Burak Kiremitler, Mustafa Serdar Onses
Summary: This study proposes stable and addressable polymer PUFs, utilizing a cross-linkable polymer system, which demonstrates high stochastic characteristics and low-cost production. The performance of the polymer features is evaluated through various analyses, and direct image authentication is achieved using feature matching algorithms.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jingyu Jin, Guoqiang Lu, Jun Nie, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: Photopolymerization technology is limited in the fields of food packaging and biomedicine due to the high migration of small molecules from photoinitiators. In this study, a polymerizable 2-vinyl thioxanthone (ETX) was synthesized to improve the migration stability of photoinitiators. Macromolecular photoinitiators (PPI1, PPI2) were also prepared to further reduce migration. The results showed that the ETX/TEOA system had higher initiation performance and PPI2 displayed favorable initiation ability. Additionally, the migration of ETX, PPI1, and PPI2 in photocured film was significantly reduced. These low-migration photoinitiators have potential applications in the fields of food packaging and biological materials.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Weijie Li, Jun Nie, Yingying Zhao, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: This study focuses on the development of high-performance, low-migration photoinitiators. A polymerizable photoinitiator (VBP) was synthesized by introducing an ethylene group into benzophenone, and three different molecular weight single-component photoinitiators (PVBN1-3) were synthesized based on VBP. The results show that these new photoinitiators have stronger absorption ability compared to benzophenone and significantly reduce the migration of initiators and co-initiators, addressing the safety concerns caused by migration.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Seira Morimune-Moriya, Yuki Iwahashi, Mitsuru Nakamura, Daisuke Ogawa, Keiji Nakamura
Summary: This study investigates the effect of plasma treatment on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the structure/properties of polyimide (PI) nanocomposites with ultra-low content of CNTs. The results show that plasma treatment introduces isocyanate groups on the surface of CNTs and enhances the interfacial interaction between PI and treated CNTs. This leads to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, with even a small addition of treated CNTs showing a substantial increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength and toughness.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanlong Li, Chaojie Chen, Guoqing Cui, Li Liu, Chao Zhou, Guangfeng Wu
Summary: In this study, a novel ion-conducting hydrogel was fabricated using a straightforward approach. The hydrogel showed excellent tensile properties and high toughness due to physical interactions and covalent binding. Additionally, the introduction of hydroxyethyl cellulose and lithium chloride improved the biocompatibility, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and frost resistance of the hydrogel, demonstrating its potential for cold climate applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Dengwei Yan, Jinxian Yang, Xuejun Pan, Xiaozheng Duan, Lianwei Li, Mo Zhu
Summary: The influence of backbone length on grafting efficiency during the graft-onto reaction process was investigated. It was found that the polydispersity effect of backbone length does not affect the final grafting efficiency, indicating that the local dynamics of chain segments dominate the graft-onto process.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyi Luo, Xianjie Pan, Fanqi Liu, Quanxi Yi, Yanning Zeng, Yunhua Chen, Chaoyang Wang
Summary: This study provides a method to prepare high-performance epoxy materials with good malleability and thermal stability. The materials have self-healing and welding capabilities, thanks to the addition of specific chemical bonds and network structures. They exhibit mechanical properties comparable to commercial epoxy resins and show great potential for sustainable industrial development.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Chaoji Xiong, Hao Wang, Lihua Deng, Kun Liang, Chunhua Wu, Wei Wu, Qian Chen
Summary: In this study, four polyamides were synthesized and their adsorption performances for Hg2+ in aqueous systems were investigated. The polyamides exhibited high adsorption capacities and excellent reusability, with the involvement of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen in the chemical adsorption process of Hg2+.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Siim Laanesoo, Olivier Bonjour, Rauno Sedrik, Iris Tamsalu, Patric Jannasch, Lauri Vares
Summary: The insertion of rigid aliphatic or aromatic building blocks in polymer structures is an effective way to synthesize high -Tg polymer materials. In this study, a series of isosorbide-2-aryl carboxylate-5-methacrylate monomers (ArIMAs) were synthesized by functionalizing isosorbide 5-methacrylate with various aromatic lignin-inspired esters. These monomers were polymerized to obtain high molecular-weight poly(aryl carboxylate isosorbide methacrylates) (PArIMAs). The resulting polymers showed high glass transition temperatures and thermal stability, making them suitable for use as high-performance plastics and coatings.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuqian Wu, Weijie Xu, Jianliang Li, Zhangfeng Zhong, Liqing Huang, Shengke Li, Huaping Tan
Summary: This study investigates the improvement of degradation and drug release characteristics of dynamic Schiff base-mediated natural polysaccharide hydrogels using tannic acid (TA), leading to enhanced stability and functionality.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zhang, Xiangli Kong, Xin Zhou, Yiyan Gao, Yibo Sun, Guanghui Gao, Wei Liu, Kai Shi
Summary: Conductive hydrogels have great development prospects in flexible strain sensors, but long-term direct contact with human skin can cause bacterial infection. A hydrogel with antibacterial, biocompatibility, and toughness was designed and manufactured using a freeze-thaw method. The hydrogel maintains tensile properties and fatigue resistance at low temperatures and is resistant to bacteria. Therefore, hydrogel sensors can be used to monitor human movements.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Wei Zhang, Jiangang Yu, Mingyang Wu, Rui Li, Anqiang Zhang, Yaling Lin
Summary: In this study, polyacrylamide containing quaternary ammonium salts (PAM-X) were synthesized and found to effectively inhibit soil-borne pathogenic fungi while maintaining the balance of microbial population in soil. PAM-X also showed low toxicity to earthworms and fish, providing a new method for the prevention and control of soil-borne fungal diseases.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiawen He, Haojie Yu, Li Wang, Jian Yang, Yanhui Zhang, Wenbing Huang, Chenguang Ouyang
Summary: This review discusses the use of polymeric hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), including the mechanism of water sorption, fabrication methods, and strategies for optimizing the structure of hydrogels. The extended applications of hygroscopic photothermal hydrogels, such as agricultural irrigation and dehumidification, are also explored. The challenges and prospects of using polymeric hydrogels for AWH are summarized.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Du, Shuaishuai Lu, Yuanna Sun, Qingshan Li, Xinhai He
Summary: This study introduces a method to improve the performance of hydrogels by incorporating proline, resulting in hydrogels with excellent stretchability, high conductivity, and long-term stability. The hydrogel remains flexible and conductive even at ultra-low temperatures.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)