Sulfonated Poly Ether Sulfone Membrane Reinforced with Bismuth-Based Organic and Inorganic Additives for Fuel Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) require robust polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) with high proton efficiency.
• Developing advanced PEMs is crucial for improving fuel cell performance and durability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) with enhanced proton conductivity for PEMFCs.
• To investigate the effect of bismuth-based additives on the properties of sulfonated poly ether sulfone (SPES).

Main Methods:

• Sulfonation of poly ether sulfone (PES) to obtain SPES.
• Incorporation of bismuth trimesic acid (BiTMA) and bismuth molybdenum oxide (Bi2MoO6) into SPES.
• Characterization of structural and physicochemical properties using FT-IR, SEM, TGA, XPS, XRD, contact angle, water uptake, oxidative stability, ion-exchange capacity, and swelling ratio.

Main Results:

• Composite membranes (SPES/BiTMA-10 and SPES/Bi2MoO6-15) exhibited higher proton conductivity (10 × 10-3 S cm-1 and 7.314 × 10-3 S cm-1, respectively) compared to pristine SPES (4.19 × 10-3 S cm-1).
• Structural and physicochemical analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of bismuth additives.
• The developed composite membranes demonstrated favorable properties for PEM applications.

Conclusions:

• The incorporation of bismuth-based additives significantly enhances the proton conductivity of SPES membranes.
• The developed composite membranes show promise as efficient electrolytes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
• Further investigation into the long-term stability and performance in operational fuel cells is warranted.