Poly(arylene disulfide)/graphite nanosheets composites as bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

A poly(arylenedisulfide)/graphite nanosheet (NanoG) composite was first prepared via a direct ring opening polymerization of cyclic (arylene disulfide) oligomers. The graphite nanosheets were prepared by ultrasonic bathing. The dispersion of the NanoG and the morphologies of these composites were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results revealed the formation of graphite nanosheets in the Poly(arylenedisulfide) matrix. The resulting composites showed good physical properties and superior thermal and electrochemical properties. Compared with a poly(arylenedisulfide)/expanded graphite (EG) nanocomposite, they were better candidates for the bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.