• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.144-149
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• 2005

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) was blended with poly(ether sulfone) (PES) at various compositions. To investigate the possibility of using the blend membranes as polymer electrolyte membranes for direct methanol fuel cell, the blend membranes were characterized in terms of methanol permeability, proton conductivity, ion exchange capacity, and water content. Both proton conductivity and methanol permeability of SPEEK were relatively high. As the amount of PES increased, methanol permeability decreased more rapidly compared to proton conductivity. The experimental results indicated that the blend membrane with 40 wt% PES was the best choice in terms of the ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2011

Aromatic copolyamides were prepared and their applicability to proton exchange membrane was studied. The copolymers contain two segments; thermally stable and mechanically strong poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), and easily processable and good film-forming polysulfone. For the copolymers, different ratios of amine-terminated sulfonated ether sulfone monomer, terephthaloyl chloride, and p-phenylene diamine were sequentially reacted. The obtained copolymers were mixed with trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPTGE), thermally cured, and converted into proton exchange membranes for fuel cell application. The reactions at each step and the molecular characteristics of precursor copolymers were confirmed by $^1H$ NMR, FTIR, and titration. The performance of the membranes was measured in terms of water uptake and proton conductivity. The water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC), and proton conductivity of the membranes increased with the increase of sulfonated ether sulfone segment content. Membrane containing 60 mol% sulfonic acid sulfone segment showed 1.88 meq/g IEC value. Water uptake was limited less than 110 wt% and the highest proton conductivity was up to $7.4{\times}10^{-2}$ S/cm ($25^{\circ}C$, RH=100%).

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.514-520
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• 2005

Composite membranes of Nafion and sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) were prepared. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with different degrees of sulfonation were blended with Nafion to reduce the methanol crossover. The morphology, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the resulting composite membranes were investigated by SEM, EDAX, AC impedance spectroscopy and permeability measuring instrument. The cross­sections of the composite membranes showed a phase separated morphology. The morphology and phase separation mechanism could be controlled by varying the blend ratio and the degree of sulfonation of poly(arylene ether sulfone). These complex morphologies can be applied for reducing methanol crossover. The methanol permeability and proton conductivity of the composite membranes were lower than those of Nafion 117 membrane since the development of an ionic pathway in the blend membrane was more difficult than that in Nafion itself.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.249-254
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• 1998

To synthesize cation exchange resin which has thermal stability, the sulfonated poly(ether ether sulfone) (SPEES) was obtained by sulfonation after synthesis of poly(ether ether sulfone) (PEES). It was prepared from hydroquinone and dichlorophenyl sulfone. From FT-IR results, the sulfonation was confirmed by the bands of asymmetric O=S=O stretching of $SO_3Na$ Na group at $1140cm^{-1}$ and S-C stretching at $621cm^{-1}$. The optimum condition of the sulfonation of PEES, based on IR absorbance, was 3 hr of reaction time, $30^{\circ}C$ of reaction temperature, and chlorosulfonic acid of 150 mol%. Ion exchange capacities calculated by the IR absorbance of PEES sulfonated in optimum condition was 6.2 meq/g, which was nearly similar to the ion exchange capacity calculated by titration. When the metal ion was adsorved, small brain, lump, hulled millet shape and compact surface, were observed in the morphology of SPEES.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.202-209
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• 2010

Aromatic copolyamides were prepared and their applicability to proton exchange membrane wasstudied. The copolymer contains thermally stable and mechanically strong poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) segments, and easily processable and good film forming polysulfone segments. For the copolymer, amineterminated sulfonated ether sulfone monomer, m-phenylene diamine, and isophthaloyl chloride were reacted, and the obtained copolymer was transformed into crosslinkable prepolymer by the reaction with acryloyl chloride. The prepolymer was thermally cured and converted into proton exchange membranes for fuel cell application. Each reaction step and the molecular characteristics of precursor copolymers were monitored and confirmed by $^1H$ NMR, FTIR, and titration. The performance of the membranes was measured in terms of water uptake, proton conductivity, and thermal stability. The water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC), and proton conductivity of the membranes increased with the increase of sulfonated ether sulfone segment content. Membrane containing 30 mol% sulfonic acid sulfone segment showed 1.57 meq/g IEC value. Water uptake was limited less than 44 wt% and the highest proton conductivity up to $3.93{\times}10^{-2}S/cm$ ($25^{\circ}C$, RH= 100%) was observed.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.235-238
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• 2005

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) copolymers (PESs) were synthesized using hydroquinone 2-potassium sulfonate (HPS) with other monomers (bisphenol A and 4-fluorophenyl sulfone). PESs with different $mole\%$ of hydrophilic group were prepared by changing the mole ratio of HPS in the polymerization reaction. The chemical structure and the thermal stability of these polymers were characterized by using $^1H-NMR$, FT-IR and TGA techniques. The PES 60 membrane, which has $60 mole\%$ of HPS unit in the polymer backbone, has a proton conductivity of 0.091 S/cm and good insolubility in boiling water. The TGA showed that PES 60 was stable up to $272^{\circ}C$ with a char yield of about $29\%\;at\;900^{\circ}C\;under\;N_2$ atmosphere. To investigate the single cell performance, the catalyst coated PES 60 membrane was used and a single cell test was carried out using $H_2/O_2$ gases as fuel and oxidant at various temperatures. We observed that the cell performance was enhanced by increasing the cell temperature. A current density of $1400 mA/cm^2$ at 0.60 V was obtained at $70^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.188-188
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• 2005

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.579-584
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• 2011

Sulfonated poly (ether sulfone)s containing BFBN were prepared from 2,3-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2-butenedinitrile , 4,4-sulfonyldiphenol and sulfonated 4,4'-difluorodiphenylsulfone sodium salt using potassium carbonate, and followed acidification reaction with 1M $H_2SO_4$. BFBN was prepared from 4-fluorobenzylcyanide, $CCl_4$, NaOH using trimethylbenzylammoniumchloride . Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)s containing BFBN were studied by FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The water uptake of synthesized S-PBFBN membranes exhibit 31~62% compared with 28% of Nafion 211. The S-PBFBN membranes exhibit proton conductivities ($80^{\circ}C$, RH 100) of 53.8~117.4 mS/cm compared with 137.4 mS/cm of Nafion 211.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.345-354
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• 2009

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)s (PESs) with a network structure were prepared by heat-induced crosslinking of the allyl-terminated telechelic sulfone polymers using a bisazide and their structure was analyzed by $^1H$ NMR. Having both uniform distribution of the hydrophilic conductive sites and controlled hydrophobic nature by minimized crosslinking, the crosslinked polymer (PES-60) membrane offered excellent proton conductivity at high temperature with a good thermal stability. In addition, selectivity of the crosslinked membrane (PES-60) was more than three times than that of Nafion$^{(R)}$.

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2004

Organic-inorganic composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone) (sPPES)/silica hybrid were prepared using the sol-gel process under acidic conditions. The sulfonation of PPES with concentrated sulfuric acid as sulfonation agent was carried out to prepare proton exchange membrane material. The behaviors of the proton conductivity and methanol permeability are depended on the sulfonation time (5-100 hr). The hybrid membranes composed of highly sulfonated PPES (IEC value: 1.42 meq./g) and silica were fabricated from different silica content (5-20 wt%) in order to achieve desirable proton conductivity and methanol permeability demanded for fuel cell applications. The silica particles within membranes were used for the purpose of blocking excessive methanol cross-over and for forming the path way to transport of the proton due to absorbing water molecules with ≡SiOH on silica. The presence of silica particles in the organic polymer matrix results in hybrid membranes with reduced methanol permeability and improved proton conductivity.