Synthesis and characterization of polymer electrolyte membrane containing methylisatin moiety by polyhydroalkylation for fuel cell

A polymer series of poly(phenylene) containing 1-methylisatin moiety without ether linkage was synthesized by polyhydroxyalkylation polymerization and sulfonation reaction of poly(phenylene) was controlled by chlorosulfonic acid mole ratio. Compared with Nafion 211® membrane, these SPPs showed logical IECs from 1.55 to 2.48 meq/g, water uptake from 31.8 to 62.5 %, and high thermal stability. The proton conductivity is still lower than that of Nafion 211® like typical hydrocarbon membranes' performance. Moreover, power density was mearsured from 0.50 to 0.57. The results show that the proton conductivity and membranes swelling significantly depend on the chemical structure of monomer and polymer matrix. These properties are momentous in PEMFC applications and make the membranes attractive for PEM materials.126