Composite Polymer Membranes for Energy Conversion

用于能量转换的复合聚合物膜

• 批准号: 0929189
• 负责人: Keith Promislow
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-15 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0929189&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Composite; Polymer; Membranes; Energy; Conversion

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Selectively permeable separator membranes are central to the development of highly efficient energy conversion devices.They must be structurally durable, even at elevated temperatures, and must facilitate the transport of ions of one charge while inhibiting the transport of opposite charge, thereby minimizing deleterious reactions by spatially segregating the key reactants. This project proposes a two-component route to the development of "composite" polymer electrolyte membranes. We optimize acid group densities by growing polymer "hairs" from nanoparticles and attaching acidic side chains to the hairs. Mixing these functionalized nanoparticles in solvent with a structurally robust, crystallizable polymer and drawing off the solvent in a controlled manner induces a phase separation which produces a durable pore network which encapsulates the functionalized nanoparticles within a rigid polymer matrix. This construction greatly simplifies the material design process by decoupling the materials requirements related to conductivity from the mechanical properties required of the membrane.This project will place the PI for one year in the laboratories of Profs. Gregory Baker and James McCusker (Michigan State University Chemistry), where he will be involved in the synthesis, characterization, and modeling of these novel composite separator membranes. The novel ``L-well'' models that the PI had developed will be used to greatly expedite the membranes optimization to yield higher pore connectivity at lower nanoparticle volume fractions. The membranes will be tested in high temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The impact of more efficient energy conversion, particularly of PEM fuel cells for automotive applications and DSSCs for the household market, is potentially profound and could be a transformative event in the push for a sustainable energy infrastructure.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案资助的（公法111-5）.选择性渗透的分离膜是开发高效能量转换装置的核心。它们必须在结构上耐用，即使在高温下也是如此，并且必须促进一种电荷的离子的传输，同时抑制相反电荷的传输，从而通过在空间上分离关键反应物而使有害反应最小化。该项目提出了一种双组分路线的“复合”聚合物电解质膜的发展。我们通过从纳米颗粒中生长聚合物“毛发”并将酸性侧链连接到毛发上来优化酸基密度。将这些官能化纳米颗粒在溶剂中与结构上坚固的可结晶聚合物混合并以受控方式抽出溶剂诱导相分离，这产生了将官能化纳米颗粒包封在刚性聚合物基质内的耐久孔网络。 这种结构通过将与导电性相关的材料要求与膜所需的机械性能分离，极大地简化了材料设计过程。Gregory Baker和James McCusker（密歇根州立大学化学），他将参与这些新型复合分离膜的合成、表征和建模。 PI开发的新型“L-井”模型将用于大大加快膜的优化，以在较低的纳米颗粒体积分数下产生较高的孔连通性。 该膜将在高温聚合物电解质膜（PEM）燃料电池和染料敏化太阳能电池（DSSC）中进行测试。更有效的能源转换，特别是用于汽车应用的PEM燃料电池和用于家庭市场的DSSC的影响可能是深远的，可能是推动可持续能源基础设施的变革性事件。