1 research outputs found
Composite Proton-Exchange Membrane with Highly Improved Proton Conductivity Prepared by in Situ Crystallization of Porous Organic Cage
Porous organic cage,
a kind of newly emerging soluble crystalline porous material, is introduced
to proton-exchange membrane by in situ crystallization. The crystallized
Cage 3 with intrinsic water-meditated three-dimensional interconnected
proton pathways working together with Nafion matrix generates a composite
membrane with highly improved proton conductivity. Different from
inorganic crystalline porous materials, like metal–organic
frameworks, the organic porous material shows better compatibility
with Nafion matrix due to the absence of inorganic elements. In addition,
Cage 3 can absorb water up to 20.1 wt %, which effectively facilitates
proton conduction under both high- and low-humidity conditions. Meanwhile,
the selectivity of Nafion–Cage 3 composite membrane is also
elevated upon the loading of Cage 3. The proton conductivity is evidently
enhanced without obvious increased methanol permeability. At 90 °C
and 95% RH, the proton conductivity of NC3-5 reaches 0.27 S·cm<sup>–1</sup>, highly improved compared to 0.08 S·cm<sup>–1</sup> of recast Nafion under the same condition. This study offers a new
strategy for modifying proton-exchange membrane with crystalline porous
materials