• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.478-484
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• 2016

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composite membranes have been intensively investigated for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). Covalently linked (CL) sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) and cellulose polymer composite membranes were prepared and characterized. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and cellulose were sulfonated and then were covalently linked by 1,4-diiodobutane to produce covalently linked SPEEK and cellulose polymer composite membranes. The composite membranes showed better thermostability and electrochemical properties than SPEEK. The membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method. CL-SPEEK/Cellulose composite membrane featured 0.2453 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$ which was better than that of Nafion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.168.1-168.1
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• 2017

화석연료를 대체하기 위한 에너지원으로서 수소에너지에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 수전해는 무한 청정한 물을 전기분해하여 수소를 생산하는 기술로써 대표적으로 알칼리 수전해(alkaline water electrolysis, AWE)와 고분자 전해질막 수전해(polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis, PEMWE)가 있다. 그 중, AWE는 알칼리 분위기에서 물분해 반응이 진행되어 촉매의 부식 위험성이 비교적 낮기 때문에 상대적으로 저렴한 비귀금속 산화물 촉매를 사용할 수 있다는 장점이 있다. 본 연구에서는 비귀금속인 Cu, Co를 이용하여 $CuCoO_4$를 합성한 후 산소 발생 촉매 물질로 활용하여 산소 발생 반응(Oxygen Evolution Reaction, OER)특성을 고찰하였다.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2007

The covalently cross-linked sulfonated polyetheretherketone (CL-SPEEK) membrane was prepared by four-step synthesis of sulfonation-sulfochlorination, partial reduction, lithiation, and cross-linking, and its electrochemical and mechanical properties were investigated for water electrolysis application. The prepared ion exchange membranes showed good electrochemical and mechanical properties; proton conductivity of 0.116 S/cm at $80^{\circ}C$, water uptake of 44.6%, ion exchange capacity of 1.75 meq/g-dry-memb., tensile strength of 64.25 MPa and elongation of 61.11%. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with homemade membranes were prepared by non-equilibrium impregnation-reduction (I-R) method. Especially, the electrochemical surface area (ESA) and roughness factor of CL-SPEEK electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry method were 23.46 $m^2/g$ and 307.3 $cm^2-Pt/cm^2$, respectively. The prepared MEA was used in the unit cell of water electrolysis and the cell voltage was 1.81 V at 1 A/$cm^2$ and $80^{\circ}C$, with platinum loadings of 1.31 mg/$cm^2$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2005

Until recently, only perfluorinated ionomer membrane such as Nation and Aciflex practically could be successfully used in water splitting. However, these membrane are limited by high cost and loss of membrane performance such as proton conductivity at elevated temperature above 80$^{\circ}C$. The sulfonated aromatic polymers such as PEEK and PSf, polyimides, and polybenzimidazoles are expected to have lower production cost as well as satisfactory chemical and electrochemical properties. HPAs and sulfonated polymers could have a significant influence on water electrolysis performance at elevated temperatures above 80$^{\circ}C$, but these phenomena have received relatively little attention until now. Therefore, it would be desirable to investigate the interrelation between the HPA and sulfonated polymer, such as SPEEK. The SPEEK membrane were prepared by the sulfonation of PEEK, and HPA was blended with SPEEK to increase the mechanical strength and electrochemical characteristics. As a results, electrochemical characteristics such as proton conductivity and ion exchange capacity were improved with the addion of 0.5 g HPA. And the properties of polymer electrolyte, SPEEK/HPA were better than Nation membrane at elevated temperature above 80$^{\circ}C$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to scavenge free radicals which attack the membrane in the polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) circumstance and to increase the duration of the membrane. In order to improve the electrochemical, mechanical and electrocatalytic characteristics, engineering plastic of the sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) as polymer matrix was prepared in the sulfonation reaction of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and the organic-inorganic blended composite membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method with loading the highly dispersed ceria and cesium-substituted phophomolybdic acid(Cs-MoPA) with cross-linking agent contents of 0.01mL. In conclusion, CL-SPEEK/$Cs_{(2.5)}$-MoPA/ceria(1%) membrane showed the optimum results such as 0.1095S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, 2.906meq./g-dry-membrane of ion exchange capacity and mechanical characteristics, and 49.73MPa of tensile strength which were better than Nafion 117 membrane.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.561-569
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• 2014

Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to increase the durability of the membrane in the polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) circumstance. The sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) as polymer matrix was prepared in the sulfonation reaction of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) to improve electrochemical characteristics. After sulfonation reaction, the organic-inorganic blended composite membranes were prepared by means of sol-gel casting method with loading the highly dispersed $CeO_2$ and Cs-substituted molybdophosphoric acid (Cs-MoPA) with cross-linking agent (tetrapropyl orthosilicate). Consequently, the composite membrane CL-SPEEK/Silane 4wt%/Cs-MoPA/Ceria(1%) showed the improved characteristics such as 82% of water content, 0.11136 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, 55.50 MPa of tensile strength and 4.37% of breeding out of MoPA.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.437-447
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• 2012

Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to scavenge free radicals which attack the membrane in the polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) circumstance and to increase the duration of the membrane. In order to improve the electrochemical, mechanical and electrocatalytic characteristics, engineering plastic of the sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) as polymer matrix was prepared in the sulfonation reaction of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and the organic-inorganic blended composite membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method with loading the highly dispersed ceria and cesium-substituted tungstophosphoric acid (Cs-TPA) with cross-linking agent contents of 0.01 mL. In conclusion, CL-SPEEK/Cs-TPA/ceria (1%) membrane showed the optimum results such as 0.130 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, 2.324 meq./g-dry-membrane of ion exchange capacity and mechanical characteristics, and 65.03 MPa of tensile strength which were better than Nafion 117 membrane.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2009

In order to improve the electrochemical, mechanical and electrocatalytic characteristics, engineering plastic of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as polymer matrix was sulfonated (SPEEK) and the organic-inorganic blend composite membranes has been prepared by loading heteropoly acids (HPAs), including tungstophosphoric acid (TPA), molybdophosphoric acid (MoPA), and tungstosilicic acid (TSiA). And then these were covalently cross-linked (CL-SPEEK/HPA) as the electrolyte and MEA of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis (PEME). As a result, the optimum reaction conditions of CL-SPEEK/HPA was established and the electrochemical characteristics such as ion conductivity ($\sigma$) were in the order of magnitude: CL-SPEEK /TPA30 (${\sigma}=0.128\;S/cm^{-1}$) < /MoPA40 (${\sigma}=0.14\;S/cm^{-1})$ < /TSiA30 (${\sigma}=0.22\;S/cm^{-1}$) at $80^{\circ}C$, and mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength: CL-SPEEK /TSiA30 $\fallingdotseq$ /MoPA40 < /TPA30. Consequently, in regards of above characterisitics and oxidation durability, the CL-SPEEK/TPA30 exhibited a better performance in PEME than the others, but CL-SPEEK/MoPA40 showed the best electrocatalytic activity of cell voltage 1.71 V among the composite membranes. The dual effect of higher proton conductivity and electrocatalytic activity with the addition of HPAs, causes a synergy effect.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.440-447
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• 2006

Solid polymer electrolyte(SPE) membrane with electrodes embedded on both faces offer unique possibilities for the electrochemical cells like water electrolyzer with fuel cell. The Nafion 117 membrane was used as the SPE, and $Pt(NH_3)_4Cl_2$ and $NaBH_4$ as the electrocatalysts and reducing agent, respectively. The 'impregnation-reduction(I-R) method' has been investigated as a tool for the preparation of electrocatalysts for water electrolyzer by varying the concentration of reducing agent and reduction time at fixed concentration of platinum salt, 5 mmol/L. Pt-SPE electrocatalysts prepared by non-equilibrium I-R method showed the lowest cell voltage of 2.17 V at reduction time, 90 min and with concentration of reducing agent 0.8 mol/L and the cell voltage with those by equilibrium I-R method was 2.42 V at reduction time, 60 min and with concentration of reducing agent 0.8 mol/L. The cell voltage were obtained at a current density $1\;A/cm^2$ and $80^{\circ}C$. In water electrolysis, hydrogen production efficiency by Pt-SPE electrocatalyst is 68.2% in case of non-equilibrium I-R method and 61.2% at equilibrium I-R method.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.320-325
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• 2013

TUnitized reversible fuel cells (URFC) combine the functionality of a fuel cell and electrolyzer in one unitized device. For a URFC with proton exchange membrane, a titanium (Ti)-felt is applied to the gas diffusion layer (GDL) substrate at the oxygen electrode, and additionally titanium (Ti)-powders and TiN-powders are loaded in the GDL substrate as a micro porous layer (MPL). Double porous layer with TiN MPL was not acceptable for the URFC because both of fuel cell performance and electrolysis performance are degraded. The double porous layer with Ti-powder loading in the Ti-felt substrate influence rearly for the electrolysis performance. In contrast, the change of pore-size distribution brings a significant improvement of fuel cell performance under fully humidification conditions. This fact indicates that the hydrophobic meso-pores in the GDL play an important role for mass transport.