Volume 34, Issue 3 2400080
Research Article

Investigations of Microstructures and Properties of SPEEK-[BMIm][OTf] Ionic Liquid Composite Membrane for Fuel Cells

Shute Yu

Shute Yu

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab for Green Chemical Product Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 P. R. China

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Lanlan Qin

Corresponding Author

Lanlan Qin

College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050 P. R. China

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Zhaohong Miao

Zhaohong Miao

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab for Green Chemical Product Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 P. R. China

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Jian Zhou

Corresponding Author

Jian Zhou

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab for Green Chemical Product Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 P. R. China

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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First published: 13 January 2025
Citations: 1

Abstract

Utilizing ionic liquids in proton exchange membranes can greatly enhance the performance of fuel cells, enabling their application in high-temperature and dry conditions. Further advancements in this field depend on a fundamental comprehension of their structural characteristics. This study focuses on the sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate [BMIm][OTf] composite membrane system. Effects of sulfonation degree, ionic liquid content, and temperature on the structure and conductivity of the composite membrane are investigated by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Results show that [BMIm][OTf] is predominantly distributed around the sulfonic acid groups of SPEEK. At an optimal sulfonation degree and ionic liquid content, interconnected ionic liquid channels can be formed. Nevertheless, an excessively high sulfonation degree may jeopardize the stability of the membrane structure. Moreover, the aggregation of ionic liquid occurs at a high level of ionic liquid content, which hinders the efficient transfer of protons. Generally, increasing the temperature is more conducive to the formation of monodisperse ionic liquid channels within the SPEEK-[BMIm][OTf] composite membrane; however, overhigh temperature may compromise the integrity of the composite membrane structure. The findings of this study offer molecular insights for the development of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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