1 United States Patent Application
2
3 for
4
5
6 Sulfonated Polyphosphazenes
7 for
8 Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
9 10
11 12
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Direct methanol and H2/O2 proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are
promising power generators for terrestrial and space applications where high energy
efficiencies and high power densities are required. A critically important component of
these devices is the proton conducting membrane. For a cation-exchange membrane to
be used in such fuel cells, a number of requirements are to be met, including: (I) High ionic
(protonic) conductivity, (ii) dimensional stability (low/moderate swelling), (iii) low electro-
osmotic waterflow, (iv) mechanical strength and chemical stability over a wide temperature
range, (vi) a high resistance to oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis, and (vi) low
hydrocarbon fuel cross-over rates (e.g., low methanol cross-over for direct methanol fuel
cells). To date, those membranes reported in the open literature that conduct ions
(protons) at moderate temperatures also possess a high methanol permeability and those
membranes that do not transport methanol have a low proton conductivity.
Over the past decade, numerous membrane materials have been examined for use
in hydrogen/oxygen and direct methanol fuel cells, including perfluorosulfonic acid
membranes, such as Dupont's Nafion® (see, for example, Ticianelli, Derouin, Redondo,
and Srinivasan, 1988, J. Electrochem. Soc, 135, 2209), radiation-grafted copolymers of
poly(styrene sulfonic acid) with either low-density poly(styrene),
poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/poly (perfluoropropylene), or poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Guzman-
Garcia, Pintauro, Verbrugge, and Schneider, 1992, J. Appl. Electrochem., 22, 204), y-
radiation-grafted cation-exchange membranes where styrene/divinylbenzene was grafted into poly(fluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (Bϋchi, Gupta, Haas, and Scherer, 1995,
Electrochim. Acta, 40, 345) and sulfonated styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene triblock
polymer (Wnek, Rider, Serpico, Einset, Ehrenberg, and Raboin, 1995, in Proton Conducting Membrane Fuel Cells I, S. Gottesfeld, G. Halpert, and A. Landgrebe, Eds., PV 95-23, The Electrochemical Society Proceedings Series, pp. 247-251). These polymers operate in a hydrated, water swollen state, which is necessary for facile proton conduction. Unfortunately, the electro-osmotic water flows and methanol (liquid fuel) cross-over rates in these polymers are high. Additionally, some of the polymers are not chemically stable during long-time fuel cell operation (HO2- radicals formed at the anode during oxygen reduction degrade the polymer).
Reinforced composite ion-exchange membranes have been used as proton- exchange materials in PEM fuel cells, where an ion-exchange polymer (normally a sulfonated perfluorinated polymer) is impregnated into a microporous
polytetrafluoroethylene film (U.S. Patent No. 5,525,436; Kolde, Bahar, Wilson, Zawodzinski, and Gottesfeld, 1995, "Proton Conducting Membrane Fuel Cells I,"
Electrochemical Society Proceedings, Vol. 95-23, p. 193). These composite membranes, which are identified by the GORE-SELECT trademark, are characterized by a high proton
conductance and good mechanical properties, as is the case for homogeneous sulfonated
perfluorinated polymer membranes. The methanol cross-over rates in homogeneous
perfluorinated polymer membranes as well as the GORE-SELECT™ membranes, however,
are unacceptably high at methanol liquid feed concentrations greater than or equal to
about 1.0 M.
Another material being examined as a fuel cell proton-exchange membrane is acid- doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) (U.S. Patent No. 5,525,436). At elevated temperatures (greater than 100°C) these membranes exhibited good proton conductivity with low methanol cross-over rates. In contrast with traditional proton-exchange materials and the polyphosphazene membranes described in this patent application, the PBI membranes can not be used in a liquid feed methanol fuel cell because the acid dopant will leach out of the membrane and into the liquid methanol solution that is in contact with the membrane during fuel cell operation, resulting in a loss in proton conductivity.
Polyphosphazenes, whose basic structure is shown in Figure 1 , are an interesting class of polymers that combine the attributes of a low glass transition temperature polymer (a high degree of polymer chain flexibility) with high-temperature polymer stability. From a synthetic viewpoint polyphosphazenes are the most highly developed of all the inorganic-backbone polymer systems (see, for example, Potin, and DeJaeger, 1991 Eur.
Polym. J., 27, 341). With appropriate functionalization of the phosphorous-nitrogen
backbone, an unlimited number of specialty polymers can be synthesized. Thus, by the proper choice of R1 and R2 in the figure below, base polymers can be synthesized for eventual use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (where the base polymer is
chemically manipulated by the addition of sulfonate ion-exchange sites and/or chemical
crosslinks).
Rl
-<N=P)- i n
R2
The Chemical Structure of the Repeating Monomer Unit for a Functionalized Polyphosphazene.
Polyphosphazenes (without fixed ion-exchange groups) have been used as pervaporation and gas separation membranes (see, for example, Peterson, Stone,
McCaffrey, and Cummings, 1993, Sep. Sci. and Techn., 28, 271 ) and as solvent-free solid
polymer electrolyte membranes in lithium batteries, where there are no fixed charges attached to the polymer (Blonsky, Shriver, Austin, and Allcock, 1984, J. Am.. Chem., Soc,
106, 6854). No one has yet used sulfonated polyphosphazene cation-exchange
membranes as proton conductors in fuel cells (where water sorption is needed for trans- membrane proton transport).
From both theoretical predictions and experimental measurements, it is known that
a proton-exchange membrane for solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) fuel cell applications
requires a high concentration of ion-exchange groups and some water content for proton conduction. There are limitations, however, to the ion-exchange gro co cehwa-ύou "vr. the film, imposed by the required solvent transport properties of the membrane, the
polymer chemistry, and the osmotic stability of the polymer. Thus, as the ion-exchange
capacity of the polymer increases, water (and polar solvent) sorption by the polymer
increases, resulting in unwanted polymer swelling (which may weaken the mechanical
properties of the film) and unacceptably high liquid fuel (e.g., methanol) cross-over rates.
It is also undesirable if the membrane water content were too low; a membrane's ionic
conductivity decreases dramatically when the average number of water molecules per ion-
exchange site is less than six and a low polymer water content may also affect adversely
the electrochemical kinetics of oxygen reduction during fuel cell operation.
Water and polar solvent (e.g., methanol) uptake in fuel cell proton-exchange
membranes are difficult to control because many PEM materials are not crosslinked and
the polymer's water/methanol content is dependent on both the membrane's ion-exchange
capacity and the polymer crystallinity (which itself decreases with an increase in the
number of fixed ion-exchange groups). Sulfonated polyphosphazene membranes (with
S03 " ion-exchange groups attached to the polymer) offer a much wider range of possible
structures and water/methanol transport rates because the number of ion-exchange groups
in the membrane can be adjusted independently of the degree of crosslinking. With a
suitably sulfonated and crosslinked polyphosphazene membranes, the problems of
unwanted water transport and methanol cross-over that are common to traditional PEM
materials can be overcome, yet the membrane conductance can be maintained sufficiently high, since crosslinking limits swelling and water/methanol absorption and transport.
In addition to chemical crosslinking, there is another method by which the mechanical and transport properties of a polyphosphazene-based cation-exchange membrane can be altered and improved for SPE fuel cell applications, that being the blending of a sulfonated polyphosphazene with a non-sulfonated polymer. One can blend the sulfonated phosphazene with either a non-sulfonated polyphosphazene or some other polymer with good chemical and thermal stability, such as a high glass transition temperature (glassy) polyimide or polyethenmide. The non-sulfonated polymer in the blend swells minimally in water or methanol and thus provides a mechanically stable framework that constrains the swelling of the sulfonated phosphazene polymer component when the membrane is exposed to water and/or methanol. Low water and methanol transport will accompany the decrease in swelling of such physically crosslinked sulfonated phosphazene polymers. Additionally, the sulfonated and/or non-sulfonated components of the polymer blend may be chemically crosslinked in order to further adjust and enhance the mechanical and transport properties of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane.
Another technique to improve upon the mechanical properties of the
polyphosphazene-based proton exchange membrane and to create very thin proton
conducting films, is to impregnate a sulfonated polyphosphazene polymer or a polymer
blend containing a sulfonated polyphosphazene into the void volume of a microporous
support membrane. The polymeric material for the support membrane (e.g., microporous
polyvinylidene fluoride) must be chemically and thermally inert at the operating conditions of a SPE fuel cell. The support membrane should also swell minimally when exposed to water and hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., methanol). After impregnation of a sulfonated phosphazene polymer solution into a microporous film and evaporation of solvent, the polyphosphazene can be crosslinked to further improve its structure and transport properties. Polyphosphazene crosslinking can be carried out, for example, by exposing a dry composite membrane to γ-radiation or by dissolving a UV-light photoinitiator into the polymer impregnation solution followed by exposure of the dry composite membrane to UV
light.
The subject matter of this invention deals with sulfonated polyphosphazene-based cation-exchange membranes for PEM fuel cells where the polyphosphazene is
crosslinked, non-crosslinked, suitably blended with one or more additional polymers, and impregnated into the void volume of an inert microporous membrane support and where the membranes operate in a hydrated state that is characterized by a high proton conductance and low water and methanol permeation rates.
Preliminary membrane fabrication experiments with selected phosphazene polymers
have been reported in the literature. For example, solid-state UV radiation crosslinking
of non-sulfonated ethylphenoxy/phenoxy substituted polyphosphazene films has been
examined (Wycisk, Pintauro, Wang, and O'Connor, 1996, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 59, 1607).
Also, non-crosslinked ion-exchange membranes were prepared from sulfonated
methylphenoxy/phenoxy substituted phosphazene polymers (Wycisk and Pintauro, 1996,
J. Membr. Sci., 119 155). In this latter study, it was shown that ion-exchange membranes
could not be prepared from ethylphenoxy/phenoxy substituted phosphazene polymers,
when S03 was used as the sulfonating agent. In the above two studies, there was no
specific attempt to fabricate a proton-exchange membrane from the sulfonated or
crosslinked polyphosphazenes and the results provided no information as to the suitability
of phosphazene polymers for fuel cell proton-exchange membranes. Individual membrane
crosslinking and sulfonation experiments do not guarantee that one can either crosslink
a sulfonated polyphosphazene membrane, sulfonate a crosslinked membrane, or prepare
a membrane by blending a sulfonated polyphosphazene and a non-sulfonated polymer.
It is not possible to deduce from prior literature references, for example, whether a UV
photo-initiator will solubilize in a dry phosphazene film when the polymer is partially
sulfonated. Similarly, it is not known whether the presence of sulfonate fixed-charge
groups on the polyphosphazene sidechains will interfere with the formation of UV-light-
induced chemical crosslinks and whether the presence of polymer crosslinks will interfere
with the sulfonation of the base polymer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject matter of this invention relates to solid polymer electrolyte membranes comprised of a partially sulfonated polyphosphazene that conduct protons but exhibit a low methanol permeability when hydrated. The invention further relates to the use of such
membranes in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, such as hydrogen/oxygen and direct liquid-feed methanol fuel cells. In particular, the invention relates to polyphosphazene-
based polymer electrolyte membranes that are comprised of one or more phosphazene polymers comprised of alkylphenoxy and/or phenoxy sidechains, where some portion of the these sidechains are sulfonated and where the sulfonated polymer is either non- crosslinked, crosslinked, blended with a non-sulfonated (or minimally sulfonated) polymer with no crosslinking, blended with a non-sulfonated (or minimally sulfonated) polymer with crosslinking, or impregnated into an inert microporous membrane support (with and without blending and/or phosphazene crosslinking).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a graph of membrane ion-exchange capacity (IEC) vs the SOJ
polyphosphazene (POP) monomer molar ratio during sulfonation of poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene].
Figure 2 is a graph showing the water swelling of sulfonated and sulfonated/crosslinked
poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] and Nafioπ® 117 membranes as a function of
water activity at 25°C. The polyphosphazene membranes have an IEC of 1.4 mmol/g.
Polyphosphazene crosslinking was achieved using 15 mol% benzophenone and UV light.
Figure 3 is a graph of water diffusivity vs reciprocal temperature in crosslinked (with 15
mol% benzophenone and UV light) and non-crosslinked membranes composed of
sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] (POP) with an IEC of 1.4 mmol/g.
Also shown is water diffusivity/reciprocal temperature plot for a Nafion® 1 17 membrane.
Figure 4 is a graph showing the proton conductivity of a variety of sulfonated poly[bis(3-
methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes, with and without crosslinking and with different
ion-exchange capacities, as a function of the reciprocal temperature. Crosslinking was
achieved using UV light and benzophenone (BP) photoinitiator at a concentration of 15
mol% or 20 mol%.
Figure 5 is a graph showing the thermo-mechanical analysis plots of sulfonated poly[bis(3-
methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes with crosslinking ( ) and without
crosslinking ( ). Polyphosphazene crosslinking. was achieved using 15 mol%
benzophenone and UV light.
Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the chemical stability of a crosslinked and sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)ρhosphazene] film (1.4 mmol/g IEC with 15 mol%
benzophenone), a Nafion® 117 membrane, and a Tokuyama Soda CMX, polystyrene sulfonate (PSSVdivinyl benzene (DVB) membrane, as measured by polymer weight loss when the films were exposed to an aqueous solution of 3% H2O2 with 3 ppm Fe2+ at 68°C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention of this patent relates to novel solid polymer electrolytes for proton- exchange membrane fuel cells that are hydrated during fuel cell operation, where such membranes possess the unique properties of low fuel (e.g., methanol) permeability and high proton conductance. Specifically, the invention deals with the use of membranes comprised of a partially sulfonated polyphosphazene that are suitable for use in direct
liquid-feed methanol fuel cells. Examples of the base phosphazene polymer include, but are not limited to poly[bis(alkylphenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(alkylphenoxy)(phenoxy) phosphazene], phosphazene polymers that contain about 50 mol% alkylphenoxy
sidechains, as well as other polyphosphazenes with sidechains that can be sulfonated.
Of particular ipterestwith respect to the invention of this patent is solid polymer electrolyte
membranes fabricated from poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] with sulfonate ion- exchange sites on some of the methylphenoxy sidechains, where the phosphazene
polymer is sulfonated in solution first and where said sulfonated polymer is: (1) Formed
into a film (membrane) without creating chemical crosslinks, (2) formed into a film followed by the creation of crosslinks, (3) blended with a non-sulfonated (or minimally sulfonated)
polyphosphazene and then formed into a film (with/without crosslinking), and/or (4)
blended with a non-sulfonated polyimide, polyethenmide, or some other chemically/thermally stable/high glass transition temperature polymer and then formed into a film (with/without polyphosphazene crosslinking). Additionally, proton-exchange membranes can be formed by the following alternate sequence of steps: (1 ) Casting a non- sulfonated polymer into a thin film, (2) crosslinking the polymer, and then (3) adding sulfonate ion-exchange groups to a portion of the sidechains of the crosslinked polymer.
The sulfonated polyphosphazene solid polymer electrolyte membranes are unique in that they exhibit a low hydrocarbon (e.g., methanol) fuel crossover (from the anode to the cathode) and a high proton conductance when operating within a fuel cell in a hydrated state at temperatures below 100°C. Suitable crosslinking and/or blending allow the
phosphazene membranes to be used at temperatures in excess of 100°C. The base phosphazene polymer contains sidechains that can be sulfonated, either before or after
film fabrication. For example, poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] can be sulfonated in solution to a specified ion-exchange capacity and the resulting polymer can be solution
cast into a thjn film. Solid-state polymer crosslinking can be achieved by dissolving a crosslinking photo-initiator into the membrane casting solution, casting the film,
evaporating the solvent, and then exposing the dry polymer film to UV radiation (where the
solubility of the photo-initiator is retained in the polymer after solvent removal).
Alternatively, the sulfonated polyphosphazene can be solution cast into a thin film, dried, and then exposed to γ-radiation to create polymer crosslinks. To fabricate a blended membrane, where the non-sulfonated polymer acts as a physical crosslinker, a polyimide,
a polyetherimide, a non-sulfonated polyphosphazene, and/or some other chemically inert
and thermally stable non-sulfonated polymer (with a high glass transition temperature) is dissolved in the membrane casting solution with a sulfonated phosphazene polymer. The resulting blend is solution-cast into a thin film and then dried. The blended polymer membrane can be crosslinked in a manner similar to that used when the membrane is composed of a single sulfonated phosphazene polymer.
The general requirements of the base phosphazene polymer for fabricating proton- exchange membranes are as follows:
(a) For sulfonated and chemically crosslinked proton-exchange membranes ( including
blended membranes composite membranes with chemical crosslinking), the base
polymer must contain: (i) A sufficient number of sidechains that can be sulfonated
so as to impart an ion-exchange capacity in the range of about 0.5 mmol/g to about 1.9 mmol/g to the polymer with minimal or no polymer degradation and (ii) sidechains on the polymer backbone for chemical crosslinking (where crosslinks are formed either before or after polymer sulfonation).
(b) For sulfonated proton-exchange membranes with no chemical crosslinking
(including blended membranes and composite membranes with no crosslinking),
the base phosphazene polymer must contain a sufficient number of sidechains that can be sulfonated so as to impart an ion-exchange capacity in the range of about
0.5 mmol/g to about 1.9 mmol/g to the polymer with minimal or no polymer
degradation.
Suitable phosphazene base-polymers that can be used to create a membrane with sulfonated ion-exchange sites and chemical crosslinks between the polyphosphazene chains include but are not limited to: poly[(bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(3- methylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(3-ethylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(3-methyl phenoxy) (3-ethyl phenoxy) ph osphazen e] , po ly[(4-
methylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(4-ethylphenoxy) (phenoxy)phosphazene], poly[(4-methylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene]. The general structure of the monomer unit of these phosphazene polymers is:
The addition of S0
3 " fixed-charge (ion-exchange) groups to the polymer occurs on some
portion of the aromatic sidechains where R' can be H (phenoxy sidechains) or an alkyl group (e.g., methylphenoxy or ethylphenoxy sidechains at various positions on the phenoxy ring). An R' alkyl group will activate the phenoxy ring for attack by a sulfonating agent such as SO3. Alkyl groups can also be used to create chemical crosslinks between two polymer chains, for example, by means of a photo-initiator-iπduced hydrogen
abstraction mechanism with UV light. The R sidechain on the P-N polymer backbone above can have a variety of functions, such as: (i) Providing locations for S03 " ion- exchange groups (e.g., R = phenoxy group or alkylphenoxy group), (ii) providing locations for SO3 " ion-exchange groups and chemical crosslinks (R=methylphenoxy or ethylphenoxy group, for example), (iii) providing locations for polymer crosslinking only, (iv) changing the hydrophobicity of the final membrane (R = trifluoroethoxy, for example) and/or (v) improving the thermal and chemical stability of the sulfonated polymer (R = trifluoroethoxy, for example). There can be more than one type of R' group and R group within the same polymer (e.g., a polyphosphazene polymer with methylphenoxy, phenoxy, and ethylphenoxy sidechains) and the relative percentages of the various R'-phenoxy and R
sidechains can be varied (e.g., poly[(4-ethylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene] with
ethylphenoxy/phenoxy molar ratios of 2/1 , 1/1, 1/2, etc.). The phosphazene polymers, with no sulfonate ion-exchange groups or with a minimal number of S03 " groups, can be
blended with a highly sulfonated polyphosphazene to create a phosphazene-blended proton-exchange membrane, as will be discussed below.
The polymer poly[bis(phenoxy)phosphazene] (R'=H and R=phenoxy) can be used
in blends to alter the thermal and/or mechanical properties of the final proton-exchange membrane or to increase the ion-exchange capacity of the final membrane (via sulfonation of the phenoxy sidechains). This polymer can also be used as the sole base-material of a sulfonated and non-crosslinked proton-exchange membrane.
The subject invention will now be discussed with reference to the preferred embodiments of the invention, those being the use of a partially sulfonated poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] polymer in non-crosslinked, crosslinked, and blended membranes. The following examples and characterization tests are intended to be merely exemplary and do not limit the subject of this invention. Reasonable variations of the various parameters presented below, as well as other aspects of the polymer and membrane materials, membrane preparation, and their use will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are intended to be covered by the specifications and claims of this
application, if such variations fall within the bounds of the claims. Thus, one skilled in the art will be able to substitute suitable polymers as described above for the exemplified polymers and obtain meaningful results.
PEM PREPARATION
A. Materials and procedures for polymer sulfonation and membrane fabrication
Poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene], purchased from "technically" Inc.,
Andover, MA, was used as the base polymer without further purification. The molecular weight of this polyphosphazene, as determined by gel permeation chromatography (Waters Styragel HT 6E column in THF), was about 2.0 * 10s daltons.
Method #1 - Preparation of an ion-exchange membrane from a single, sulfonated phosphazene polymer casting solution
This method describes the sulfonation of a polyphosphazene by dissolving the polymer in an appropriate solvent and then adding to the solvent an appropriate polymer sulfonating agent. Sulfonation with S03 is described next, but other sulfonating agents (e.g., chlorosulfonic acid, oleum, or acetyl sulfate) can be used in place of SO3. A known weight of phosphazene polymer (1.0 g) was first dissolved in 40 ml of 1 ,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and stirred for 24 h at 50°C. A given amount of SO3 in 10 ml of DCE was then added dropwise to the polymer solution in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting
precipitate was stirred for 3 h at 0°C followed by the addition of 50 ml of a dilute NaOH solution (water/methanol solvent) to terminate the reaction. After evaporation of solvent
at 70°C for 24 h, the polymer was pre-conditioned by soaking sequentially in distilled water, 0.1 M NaOH, distilled water, 0.1 M HCI, and distilled water (each soaking was for
48 hours). The polymer product was then dried thoroughly and dissolved in N, N- dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Proton-exchange membranes were cast from this solution
(about 5 wt/vol% polymer) on a polypropylene plate and then dried at 70°C for 3 days.
Method #2 - Fabrication of proton-exchange membranes by blending two phosphazene polymers with different ion-exchange capacities.
This method is intended to show that two polyphosphazene polymers, each with a
different concentration of sulfonate ion-exchange groups, can be blended together and cast into a membrane. The two polymers can have different sidechains, although the example given here deals with two sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] polymers, one with an ion-exchange capacity (IEC) in the range of about 1.4 to about .1.6 mmol/g and the other with an IEC in the range of 0.0 to about 1.0 mmol/g were each dissolved separately in N, N-dimethylacetamide at a concentration of 2-10 wt% (the 0.0 IEC phosphazene polymer was not contacted with a sulfonating agent and thus has zero ion-exchange capacity). The solutions were stirred at 40-50°C for 24 hours. Specified amounts of the high and low IEC polymer/DMAc solutions were combined (e.g., to create a membrane with 50 wt% high IEC polymer and 50 wt% low IEC polymer) and stirred for 10 hours at a temperature of 40-50°C. A proton-exchange membrane was made by
spreading the resulting solution on a clean and flat surface and then evaporating the
solvent at 60-70°C for 2-3 days. The particular amount of each polymer in the blend is
determined by the required final ion-exchange capacity of the resulting membrane. To create crosslinks in the blended polymer film, between about 5 wt% and about 20 wt% benzophenone is dissolved in the blended membrane casting solution. A membrane is
then cast on a clean, flat plate and the solvent is allowed to evaporate completely. After
solvent removal, the membrane is exposed to UV light for a sufficient time to react all of the photo-initiator.
Method #3 - Fabrication of a blended membrane from a sulfonated phosphazene polymer and a non-phosphazene polymer.
This method is intended to show that a sulfonated phosphazene polymer can be
blended with a non-sulfonated, non-phosphazene polymer, such as a polyimide or
polyetherimide. A sulfonated phosphazene polymer (1.4 mmol/g sulfonated poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] and a polyetherimide (poly(bisphenol A-co-A-nitrophthalic anhydride-co-1 ,3, phenylenediamine)) were each dissolved in DMAc solvent at a polymer concentration of between about 2 wt/vol% and 5 wt vol%. Each solution was stirred for 24 hours at a temperature of 40-50°C. Specified amounts of the phosphazene and polyetherimide solutions were combined and the resulting solution was stirred at 50°C for another 5 hours. The polyetherimide content of the final blended membrane ranged from about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%. The polymer blend solution was cast on a flat plate and the solvent was removed by heating at about 60°C for 2-3 days. One skilled in the art would recognize that a blended membrane could also be prepared from a sulfonated
polyphosphazene and a suitably chosen polyimide, where both polymers are dissolved in a single solvent and then solution cast into membranes. Additionally, one skilled in the art
would recognize that a blended membrane could also be prepared by solubiliziπg in a
suitably chosen solvent the sulfonated phosphazene polymer and the monomer species that constitute the polyimide or polyetherimide, in which case the polyimide or
polyetherimide forms from their monomers afterfilm casting and during solvent evaporation
at a sufficiently high temperature. Under appropriate membrane casting conditions, one
can create an interpenetrating polymer network with the sulfonated polyphosphazene and
non-phosphazene polymers. Chemical crosslinks between polyphosphazene chains can
be created in such blended membranes. For example, an appropriate UV photo-initiator is dissolved in the blended polymer membrane casting solution, a flat sheet membrane is cast, the solvent is evaporated at an elevated temperature, and then the membrane is
exposed to UV light.
Method #4 - Preparation of a sulfonated and crosslinked polyphosphazene membrane by film casting, polymer crosslinking. and then polymer sulfonation. This method describes the preparation of a sulfonated polyphosphazene proton- exchange membrane by first casting the non-sulfonated polymer into a thin film followed by polymer crosslinking and then exposing the film to a sulfonating agent such as SO3, chlorosulfonic acid, oleum, or acetyl sulfate. For example, poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] and 15 mol% benzophenone were dissolved in
tetrahydrofuran. Membranes were cast from this solution onto polypropylene plates and
the solvent was evaporated in darkness. Each face of the membranes was exposed to UV
light (365 nm wavelength, 2.8 W/cm2 intensity) in a nitrogen atmosphere at 25°C for about
5 hours in oπder to crosslink the polymer. The crosslinked films were soaked in a given chlorosulfonic acid/dichloroethane solution for a specified period of time in order to attach sulfonate groups to the methylphenoxy sidechains of the polyphosphazene. After the
sulfonation step, the membranes were soaked in dilute NaOH and then deionized/distilled
water. The ion-exchange capacity of the resulting membranes was then determined using standard experimental techniques. Representative examples of crosslinked and then sulfonated membranes prepared by this method are listed in Table 1. Increasing the concentration of chlorosulfonic acid for polymer sulfonation and/or the time of
chlorosulfonic acid contact with the membrane increases the membrane ion-exchange
capacity.
Table 1
Sulfonated Polyphosphazene Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membranes Prepared by
Method #4, with PoIy[bis(3-methyIphenoxy)phosphazene]
Method #5 - Preparation of sulfonated ethylphenoxy/phenoxy-substituted polyphosphazene membranes with SO? in the presence of Thethyl Phosphate.
It was shown previously that phosphazene polymers containing ethylphenoxy and
phenoxy sidechains could not be sulfonated with SO3 without significant polymer
degradation (Wycisk and Pintauro, 1996, J. Membr. Sci., 119 155). This method is
intended to show that this polymer degradation problem can be overcome and that useable
ion-exchange membrane materials can be can be synthesized from ethyl phenoxy/phenoxy- substituted phosphazene polymers by sulfonating the polymer with S03 in the presence
of triethyl phosphate (TEP). The polymer sulfonation procedure follows. A know weight (e.g., 1.0 gram) of poly[(4-ethylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene] polymer was dissolved in a known volume (e.g., 40 ml) of 1 ,2-dichloroethane (DCE). Sulfonating agent solutions were prepared by adding a given amount of S03 and TEP to 10 ml of DCE solvent and allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for 12 hours. The sulfonating solution
was then added dropwise to the polymer/DCE solution at 0°C and in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting precipitate was stirred for 3 hours at 0°C followed by the addition of 50 ml of a dilute NaOH solution (water/alcohol solvent) to terminate the reaction. After evaporation of solvent at 70°C for 24 h, the polymer v/as pre-conditioned by soaking sequentially in distilled water, 0.1 M NaOH, distilled water, 0.1 M HCI, and distilled water (each soaking was for 48 hours). The ion-exchange capacity of the
sulfonated polymers was then measured. Representative results from these polymer
sulfonation experiments are listed in Table 2.
Table 2
Sulfonation of Poly[(4-ethylphenoxy)(phenoxy)phosphazene] with SO3 in the
Presence of Triethyl Phosphate
Method #6 - Creating Crosslinks in a Sulfonated Polymer Membrane
To fabricate a crosslinked membrane from a sulfonated phosphazene polymer, , an
appropriate amount of benzophenone (BP) photo-initiator (ranging from about 5 mol% BP
to about 25 mol% BP) was added to and dissolved in a solution consisting of the
sulfonated polyphosphazene and DMAc solvent. Flat sheet membranes were cast on a
clean and dry surface from this solution. The resulting films were dried in darkness and
then irradiated with UV light (365 nm wavelength, 2.8 mW/cm2 intensity) under an Argon
atmosphere at 25°C for 15-20 hours, depending on membrane thickness (the time of UV
light exposure should be sufficient to consume all of the photoinitiator). To further insure
complete consumption of the photo-initiator, the membrane was turned over so that both
membrane surfaces were fully exposed to UV light. Other methods that would be apparent
to a skilled artisan can also be used to create polymer crosslinks in the sulfonated
phosphazene polymer membranes, including exposure of the membranes to γ-radiation
for a specified period of time.
PEM CHARACTERIZATION
A. Ion-exchange capacity and equilibrium swelling measurements
25
The ion-exchange capacity (IEC, with unit of mmol/g of dry polymer) of sulfonated
polyphosphazene membranes was determined by measuring the concentration of H+ that exchanged with Na+ when acid-form membrane samples were equilibrated with a NaCI solution. A known weight of dry polymer (for example, 0.2-0.4 g) in the acid form was
placed into 100 ml of a 2.0 M NaCI solution and shaken occasionally for 48 hours. Three 25 ml samples were then removed and the amount of H+ released by the polymer was determined by titration with 0.01 M NaOH. The measured ion-exchange capacity of sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes is plotted vs. the SO^polyphosphazene (henceforth denoted as POP) monomer molar ratio in Figure 1.
B. Membrane Swelling by Water and Methanol
Equilibrium swelling by water and methanol in sulfonated poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] (POP) membranes was determined under controlled water vapor and methanol activity conditions using a McBain quartz-spring micro-balance
sorption apparatus. All measurements were made on membrane samples in the H+ form.
Swelling was first calculated as the % increase in the dry membrane weight. For unit
activity swelling with water, a membrane was equilibrated in liquid water. The equilibrium
water sorption curves as a function of water vapor activity at 30°C for crosslinked (15 mol% BP) and , non-crosslinked 1 .4 mmol/g IEC sulfonated poly[bis(3-
methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes are shown in Figure 2. For comparison purposes,' water swelling of a Nafion® 117 membrane (IEC=0.909 mmol/g) is also shown
in this figure. Although the concentration of fixed charges in the polyphosphazene was
higher than that in Nafion, the crosslinked membrane swelled less due to the presence of
polymer crosslinks. Without crosslinking, the IEC 1.4 mmol/g POP membrane swelled
«48% (19 water molecules per S03 " site) in liquid water at 30°C, whereas the swelling of
the membrane crosslinked with 15% benzophenone was only 33% (13 water molecules
per S03 " site). These results show clearly that polymer crosslinking restricts polymer
swelling. Methanol vapor uptake in the crosslinked (15 mol% BP) polyphosphazene
membrane is compared to that for Nafion® 1 17 in Table 3 for a methanol activity of 0.6 and
0.9 and a temperature of 30°C and 45°C. As was the case for water sorption, the POP
membrane swelled less than Nafion® 1 17 in methanol vapor.
Table 3
Equilibrium methanol vapor uptake at 30°C in a 1.4 lEC/crosslinked poly[bis(3-
methyIphenoxy)phosphazene] membrane and in a Nafion® 117.
C. Water and Methanol Diffusivity
Water and methanol diffusion coefficients in sulfonated poly[bis(3-
methylphenoxy)phosphazene] were determined by a weight loss method, using a McBain quartz-spring micro-balance sorption apparatus and a thick membrane (400-600 μm) to minimize surface drying effects. After a membrane sample was fully equilibrated with water vapor at an activity of 0.98 or methanol vapor at an activity of either 0.80 or 0.90, the vapor
activity was lowered by 5% and the membrane weight loss was recorded with time. The diffusion coefficient was then computed from the initial straight-line slope of a weight loss vs. square-root of time plot. Experiments were repeated at various temperatures.
The temperature dependence of measured water diffusion coefficients in sulfonated/crosslinked (15 mol% BP) and sulfonated/non-crosslinked poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] (abbreviated as POP) membranes is presented in Figure 3, along with literature data for the self diffusion coefficient of water in Nafion® 117. The water diffusion coefficients in the polyphosphazene membranes were low (≤ 1.2 x 10"7
cm2/s for a crosslinked membrane) and significantly smaller than that in Nafion® 117. Even
the sulfonated and non-crosslinked POP membrane, which swelled more in waterthan the Nafion® film, was more effective than Nafion® in restricting water diffusion.
Methanol diffusion coefficients were measured . in crosslinked poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes (15 mol% BP), using the weight loss method
and the McBain sorption balance apparatus. Diffusivities at 30°C and 0.80 methanol vapor
activity and 45°C and a methanol activity of 0.80 or 0.90 are listed in Table 4. As was the
case for water diffusion, the methanol diffusivity in the crosslinked polyphosphazene film was found to be very small (1.6-8.5 x 10" cm2/s).
Table 4
Methanol diffusion coefficients in crosslinked 1.4 mmol/g IEC
poly[bis(3-methy!phenoxy)phosphazene] membranes.
The electrical conductivity of protons in water-equilibrated poly[bis(3- methylphenoxy)phosphazene] membranes in the H+ form (where only protons that are
associated with fixed charges can carry the current) was determined using an AC impedance method. Membrane samples were first soaked in deionized and distilled water for 24 hours. The longitudinal (x-y) conductivity was measured using a pair of pressure- attached, high surface area platinum electrodes, as described in the literature. The mounted sample was immersed in deionized and distilled water at a given temperature and measurements were made from 1 Hz to 105Hz using a PAR Model 5210 amplifier and a PAR Model 273 potentiostat/galvanostat. Both real and imaginary components of the impedance were measured and the real Z-axis intercept was closely approximated. The cell constant was calculated from the spacing of the electrodes, the thickness of the membrane, and the area of the platinum electrodes.
Proton conductivities in liquid-water-equilibrated sulfonated polyphosphazene
membranes (0.8, 1.0, and 1.4 mmol/g IEC without crosslinking and 0.8 and 1.4 mmol/g IEC
with crosslinking using either 15 mo!% or 20 mol% benzophenone) were measured at temperatures ranging from 30°C to 65°C. The membrane thicknesses ranged from about
100 μm to about 200 μm. The results are compared with literature data for Nafion® 117 in
Figure 4. The conductivities of the crosslinked and non-crosslinked 1.4 mmol/g IEC polyphosphazene membranes were essentially identical throughout the temperature range
investigated and were approximately 70-80% that in Nafion®. The conductances of the
crosslinked and non-crosslinked 1.4 mmol/g IEC polyphosphazene (defined as the conductivity divided by the membrane thickness) ranged from about 2 Ω~1 cm-2 to about 10
Ω'1 cm'2, depending on temperature. These conductances are high (for membrane evaluation purposes, a polyphosphazene membrane conductance greater than about 1 Ω'1
cm-2 can be considered high) and are comparable to those of commercially available Nafion® 117 and some GORE-SELECT™ proton-exchange membrane materials (Kolde, Bahar, Wilson, Zawodzinski, and Gottesfeld, 1995, "Proton Conducting Membrane Fuel Cells I," Electrochemical Society Proceedings, Vol. 95-23, p. 193). Polyphosphazene membrane conductances greater than 10 Ω" cm'2 can be achieved by increasing the temperature and by making the membrane thinner than 100 μm.
The proton conductivities and conductances of a blended membrane, composed of 70 wt% partially sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] and 30 wt% poly(bisphenol A-co-A-nitrophthalic anhydride-co-1 ,3, phenylenediamine), are listed in
Table 5 at temperatures between 25°C and 80°C. the membrane was prepared using the
procedures outlined above in Method #3. The ion-exchange capacity of the blended membrane was 1.05 mmol/g and the water swelling at 25°C was 35%. Measurements were
made on 100 μm thick wet films that were equilibrated in deionized/distilled water. The proton conductance in the blended membranes was high and ranged from 2.0-5.5 Ω"1 cm'2.
Table 5
Proton Conductivities and Conductances of a Blended Sulfonated
Phosphazene/Polyetherimide Membrane in Water
E. Thermo-mechanical and Chemical Stability Properties
The mechanical properties of crosslinked and non-crosslinked poly[bis(3-
methylphenoxy)phosphazene] films were measured as a function of temperature using a
TMA 2940 Thermomechanical analyzer, operating in the probe penetration mode.
Membrane samples (=150 μm in thickness) were heated in air at a rate of 10°C/min. The
load for the penetration probe ranged from 0.1 -0.5 N (pressures of 160-800 kPa).The
effect of temperature on polymer softening for sulfonated/crosslinked (15 mol% BP) and
sulfonated/non-crosslinked phosphazene (POP) membranes (IEC = 1.4 mmol/g) is shown
in Figure 5. Crosslinking greatly improved the polymer's mechanical properties at elevated
temperatures. The non-crosslinked POP membrane began to soften and deform at 76°C
for a small penetration probe pressure of 160 kPa (24 psig), whereas the crosslinked POP
film was mechanically stable up to 173°C for a probe pressure as high as 800 kPa (118
psig).
To evaluate whether sulfonated/crosslinked (15 mol% BP) polyphosphazene
membranes can withstand exposure to a strong oxidizing environment without degradation, membrane samples were soaked in an aqueous 3% H202 solution containing 4 ppm Fe2+ at 68°C. Periodically, over a 24 hour period, the membrane was removed from the
peroxide solution, wiped with filter paper to remove excess liquid, and weighed. As shown in Figure 6, a minimal membrane weight loss (< 5%) was observed for the sulfonated polyphosphazene membrane, indicating excellent chemical stability. A comparison of FTIR spectra before and after the 24 hour peroxide soak showed: (i) No new IR peaks and (ii) no change in the P-N (1 ,243 cm"1), S=O (1,085 cm'1), and P-O-φ (1 ,140 cm"1) stretching bands of the original sulfonated membrane. For comparison purposes, the weight loss vs. time results for a Nafion® 117 membrane and a Tokuyama Soda CMX cation-exchange membrane (composed of sulfonated polystyrene, crosslinked with divinyl benzene) are also shown in Figure 6.
F. Measurement of Methanol Cross-Over
A sulfonated poly[bis(3-methylphenoxy)phosphazene] polymer was cast into a thin
film without crosslinking and a membrane-electrode-assembly was fabricated by hot-
pressing Pt-Ru powder and Ru02 powder gas diffusion electrodes to the opposing
membrane surfaces. The ion-exchange capacity of the membrane was 1.05 mmol/g, its dry
thickness was 130 μm, its equilibrium swelling in water at 25°C was 37%, and the proton conductivity in the film (as measured by AC impedance) when equilibrated in either water
or a 1.0 M methanol solution at 70°C was 0.055 Ω"1 cm"1 (a proton conductance of 4.2 Ω"1
cm"2). Liquid methanol crossover in the polymer was estimated by measuring the methanol
oxidation limiting current density when a liquid feed solution of 1.0 M methanol was
circulated past the cathode and humidified N2 gas was passed by the anode (the
procedure for measuring the limiting current density was the same as that reported in Ren,
Zawodzinski, Uribe, Dai, and Gottesfeld, 1995, in "Proton Conducting Membrane Fuel
Cells I," Electrochemical Society Proceedings, Vol 95-23, p. 284). For comparison
purposes, methanol crossover was also measured in a MEA containing a Nafion® 1 17
membrane. For a .0 M methanol solution and a temperature between 40°C and 70°C, the
limiting current density for methanol in the sulfonated polyphosphazene film ranged from
6.0 mA/cm2 to 10 mA/cm2 and was more than one-order of magnitude lower than that for
Nafion® 117, as shown by the results in Table 6.
Table 6
Experimentally Measured Methanol Oxidation Limiting Current Densities in Fuel Cell Membrane-Electrode Assemblies with Nafion 117 and Non-Crosslinked Polyphosphazene Membranes
(with a 1.0 M methanol feed solution)
We claim: