Ionomer thin films for fuel cells and related applications

用于燃料电池及相关应用的离聚物薄膜

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04856
• 负责人: Karan, Kunal
• 金额: $ 5.39万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=746948
• 关键词: Ionomer; thin; films; fuel; cells

Polymer thin films with dimensions less than one-thousands the size of human hair behave differently than their bulk material counterpart. Conducting polymers are sub-class of this material group and depending on the molecular architecture, they can be either electron-conducting or ion-conducting. Thin films of ion-conducting polymers or ionomers find a variety of applications, e.g. in fuel cells, artificial photosynthesis, sensors, actuators, and as functional coatings. The ionomer thin films in the catalyst layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have been identified as a source of significant performance/voltage loss due to unexpectedly high mass transport resistance. Overcoming this problem is now considered critical to making the PEFCs affordable, if we are to harness its potential as zero-emissions power source for urban vehicles. The answer to the problem is designing next generation ionomer materials that possess facile mass transport characteristics. However, the lack of relationship between ionomer molecular structure and its properties is hampering the design and development of such materials. In the proposed research will use a science-based approach for unraveling the origin of the mass transport resistance some advanced experimental techniques - one of which has only recently become available in whole of North America - the Positron Beam Facility at McMaster University, Canada. The long-term objective of the proposed research program is to guide the development of new ionomer molecules tuned for application-specific functionalities, e.g. in fuel cells, artificial photosynthesis, sensors, actuators, coatings, nanothin selective membranes. This will be achieved by establishing structure-property relationships of ionomer films, quantifying how the phase-segregated structure and resulting properties responds to pertinent stimuli (temperature, humidity, potential), and link it all to the molecular architecture of ionomer and its interactions with substrates varying in chemical/ physical characteristics. By studying a number of different ionomer varying in their molecular architecture, the research program will link the molecular architecture of the ionomers to the film structure-property. Such a knowledge currently does not exist. The fundamental knowledge created from the research program will provide science-based guidelines for the design of next-generation ionomer materials tuned for desirable functional properties; e.g. ionomers with high free volume, i.e. enhanced mass transport characteristics for PEFCs; ionomers with highly hydrophilic interfacial surface for facile sorption of polar molecules (e.g. alcohol) for sensor applications; ionomer films with hydrophobic surface for water-repellant protective coatings. Knowledge on substrate-ionomer interaction will benefit nanofabrication based on thin film platform.

尺寸小于人类头发大小千分之一的聚合物薄膜与它们的块状材料薄膜表现不同。导电聚合物是这种材料的一个子类，根据分子结构的不同，它们可以是电子导电的，也可以是离子导电的。离子导电聚合物或离子单体的薄膜有各种各样的应用，例如在燃料电池、人工光合作用、传感器、致动器和功能涂层中。聚合物电解质燃料电池（PEFCs）催化剂层中的离聚体薄膜由于意外的高质量传输电阻而被确定为显著性能/电压损失的来源。如果我们要利用pefc作为城市车辆零排放电源的潜力，克服这一问题现在被认为是让人们负担得起的关键。解决这个问题的答案是设计下一代离子材料，使其具有易于传递质量的特性。然而，离子单体分子结构与其性能之间缺乏联系，阻碍了这种材料的设计和开发。在拟议的研究中，将使用一种基于科学的方法来揭示质量传输阻力的起源，一些先进的实验技术——其中一种最近才在整个北美可用——加拿大麦克马斯特大学的正电子束设施。该研究计划的长期目标是指导新离子分子的发展，以适应特定的应用功能，例如燃料电池，人工光合作用，传感器，致动器，涂层，纳米薄选择膜。这将通过建立离聚体薄膜的结构-性质关系来实现，量化相分离结构和由此产生的性质如何响应相关刺激（温度、湿度、电位），并将其与离聚体的分子结构及其与不同化学/物理特性的底物的相互作用联系起来。通过研究许多不同的分子结构各异的离聚体，该研究项目将把离聚体的分子结构与薄膜的结构性质联系起来。这样的知识目前还不存在。从研究项目中创造的基础知识将为设计具有理想功能特性的下一代离聚体材料提供基于科学的指导；例如，具有高自由体积的离聚体，即增强pefc的质量输运特性；具有高度亲水性界面表面的离聚体，易于吸附极性分子（如酒精），用于传感器应用；具有疏水表面的离聚体膜，用于防水保护涂层。了解底物-离聚体相互作用将有利于基于薄膜平台的纳米制造。