Development of novel proton-conductive polymers for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology
View Patent ↗New thermally and chemically stable sulfonic acid-containing polymers are synthesized via post-sulfonation of aromatic polymers. These new polymers provide unique benefits to proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology (“PEMFC”). As a sulfonic acid moiety can be easily installed into an aromatic ring via electrophilic sulfonation, even in the presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent such as —F, rigid polymers consisting of aromatic rings at either the side chain or main chain can be prepared with a wide range of substituents and flexibility in properties. Novel synthetic procedures are provided for synthesis of the polymers.
1. A method of forming sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s according to the reaction scheme of:
2. The method of claim 1 wherein X═F.
3. The method of 1 wherein X═CF 3 .
4. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of the formula:
5. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 4 wherein at least one of R 1 and R 2 comprises —(CF2)n-,
6. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 5 wherein R 1 ═R 2 .
7. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 6 wherein X═CF 3 .
8. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 7 .
9. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 6 .
10. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 5 wherein R 1 is different from R 2 .
11. The sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 10 wherein X═CF 3 .
12. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 11 .
13. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 10 .
14. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 5 .
15. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film of the sulfonated poly(arylene-alt-alkylene)s of claim 4 .
16. A proton membrane exchange fuel cell comprising a polymeric film comprising units of at least unit one of a formula selected from the group consisting of the formula:
wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of —CF 2 —,
and X is F or CF 3 .
17. The proton membrane fuel cell of claim 16 wherein at least one of R 1 and R 2 comprises —(CF2)n-,
18. The proton membrane fuel cell of claim 17 wherein X═CF 3 .
19. The proton membrane fuel cell of claim 16 wherein R 1 ═R 2 .
20. The proton membrane fuel cell of claim 19 wherein X═CF 3 .
21. The proton membrane fuel cell of claim 16 wherein R 1 is different from R 2 .