PFG-NMR approach to determining the water transport mechanism in polymer electrolyte membranes conditioned at different temperatures

Two types of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs), Nafion (NR-212) and sulfonated poly(4-phenoxybenzoyl-1,4-phenylene) (sPPBP), were conditioned under air flow in independently controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions. The effects of temperature and relative humidity on the diffusion behavior of water in the PEMs were investigated by pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. The two PEMs show different tendencies, especially with respect to their temperature effects. In a comparison of diffusion data with proton conductivity, mechanisms for proton conduction in the PEMs were considered. It was suggested that proton conduction by proton hopping occurs to a larger extent in NR-212 than in a hydrocarbon-based membrane. Temperature-affected microstructural changes below the glass transition temperature are also discussed.

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