Quaternized poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate-co-vinylbenzyl chloride) membrane for alkaline fuel cells

Instead of modification of pre-existing polymers, a new route of preparation of polyelectrolyte OH− conductive membranes via copolymerization of selected functional monomers was reported in this study. A random copolymer of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate-co-vinylbenzyl chloride) was synthesized via copolymerization, which was followed by quaternization and membrane casting. The intrinsic OH− conductivity of the free-standing polyelectrolyte membranes can reach 8.2 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 80 °C. The alkaline fuel cells using copolymer polyelectrolytes demonstrated the feasibility of the preparation concept of these membranes.