Synthesis and characterization of PEEK containing imidazole for anion exchange membrane fuel cell

We synthesized a poly(ether-ether-ketone), containing bisphenol A and tetra imidazolium in the polymer chain using the direct conversion method and condensation reaction. First, we synthesized a tetra-ammonium monomer, which was then converted to ammonium to imidazolium functional groups. Then we tested the alkaline-exchange properties of a prepared polymeric membrane with different contents of the imidazolium moiety for fuel-cell applications. The prepared membranes were characterized in terms of ion exchange capacity, water uptake, mechanical properties, and ion conductivity. The ion exchange capacity and hydroxide conductivity of the prepared membranes were found to increase with increasing amount of functional groups on the membrane.