UNS: Microstructural determinants of ion transport in ion exchange fuel cell membranes

1511373 -弗兰克，柯蒂斯；Spakowitz,安德鲁;离子交换膜（IEM）燃料电池是一种诱人的替代能源，其运行产生的是水，而不是更有害的碳基排放。燃料电池的有效运行取决于开发一种聚合物膜，这种膜允许离子在燃料电池的电极之间快速移动。这通常是通过在纳米尺度上相分离的疏水和亲水单体的共聚物来完成的。由此产生的疏水基质赋予膜的机械稳定性，而亲水结构域为离子在电极之间移动提供了途径。离子通过聚合物膜的传输是由相分离域的组织决定的，其长度范围从纳米到微米。合理设计IEM需要共聚物内单体的化学排列与离子传输域的分子水平组织之间有明确的联系。这些材料对我们未来的能源利用至关重要，而建立聚合物膜的结构-功能关系对提高燃料电池的性能至关重要。本研究项目结合了离子交换膜（IEM）的理论建模、合成和表征。pi将采用分析理论与计算建模相结合的方法，预测合作合成的聚（环氧乙烷）-聚酰亚胺（PEO-PI）共聚物材料组成的聚合物膜的形态，并对模型进行测试和验证，为优化IEM材料的性能提供理论指导。该理论模型利用并扩展了现有的随机共聚物建模方法，将能够预测其他聚合物膜系统中的微相分离。因此，建立这种理论研究和实验测试的能力，可以预测用于燃料电池和其他应用的广泛的聚合物膜材料的微相组织和材料性能。拓展工作包括建立LABScI项目，该项目为正在接受儿童癌症治疗的高中生开发和实施教学模块。这个项目对露西尔·帕卡德儿童医院医院学校的高中生的教育产生了重大影响。未来的推广工作旨在进一步将我们的计划扩展到全国，作为医院学校教育的一般实验室科学课程。在暑假期间，pi将继续与高中教师和学生配对，以获得关于实施难易程度、与高中科学标准的一致性以及学生对教学模块的理解的反馈。

1511373 - Frank, Curtis; Spakowitz, Andrew; Toney, MichaelIon exchange membrane (IEM) fuel cells constitute an enticing alternative energy source whose operation generates water rather than more harmful carbon-based emissions. Efficient operation of a fuel cell hinges on developing a polymer membrane that permits ions to move quickly between the electrodes in the fuel cell. This is typically accomplished using a copolymer with hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers that phase separate at nanometer length scales. The resulting hydrophobic matrix confers mechanical stability to the membrane, while the hydrophilic domains provide pathways for ions to move between electrodes. Ion transport through the polymer membrane is dictated by the organization of the phase-segregated domains at length scales ranging from nanometers to microns. The rational design of an IEM requires a clear connection between the chemical arrangement of monomers within the copolymers and the resulting molecular-level organization of the ion-transport domains. Such materials are crucial to our future energy utilization, and establishing the structure-function relationship in polymer membranes is crucial to improving fuel-cell performance.This research program combines theoretical modeling, synthesis, and characterization of ion exchange membranes (IEM). The PIs will use a combination of analytical theory and computational modeling to predict the morphology of polymer membranes composed of poly(ethylene oxide)-polyimide (PEO-PI) copolymer materials synthesized in the collaboration, and test and validate the model to provide theoretical guidance for optimizing the performance of IEM materials. The theoretical model, which leverages and extends the existing approaches to modeling random copolymers, will be capable of predicting microphase segregation in other polymer membrane systems. Therefore, establishing this capability of theoretical investigation and experimental testing enables the prediction of microphase organization and material performance in a broad range of polymer membrane materials for fuel cell and other applications.The outreach efforts include the establishment of the LABScI program, which develops and implements teaching modules for the education of high school students that are being treated for childhood cancer. This program has made a major impact on the education of high school students at the Hospital School at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Future outreach efforts aim to further expand our program nationwide as a general laboratory science curriculum for hospital-school education. The PIs will continue to pair with high-school teachers and students during the summers to receive feedback on the ease of implementation, consistency with high-school science standards, and student understanding of the teaching modules.