I-Corps: Zirconium-perfluorophosphonic acid membranes

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过显著降低阳离子交换膜的生产成本而产生的。通过用低成本的替代品取代昂贵的膜，这项技术可能会应用于用作公用事业规模储能设备的氧化还原液流电池。氧化还原液流电池生产成本的降低可能会增加风能和太阳能的使用，因为大规模储能是目前阻碍可再生电力市场增长的瓶颈。这项技术也可能在氢燃料电池中得到应用。燃料电池生产成本的降低可以更容易地采用燃料电池驱动的车辆，从而减少运输部门的排放。这个i-Corps项目开发了由全氟膦酸-锆聚合物组成的质子交换膜。这些膜是从负担得起的天然材料中提取的，通过采用新型自由基偶联反应的新合成策略，使低成本制造成为可能。概念验证研究表明，这些新膜在水中表现出高的质子传导性，并可能显著减少氧化还原液流电池应用中的钒交叉。这个i-Corps项目可能有助于确定这些材料和工艺创新的潜在商业化途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is derived by significantly lowering the production costs of cation-exchange membranes. By replacing expensive membranes with low-cost alternatives, this technology may find application in redox flow batteries used as utility-scale energy storage devices. The reduction of the production costs of redox flow batteries may enable increased adoption of wind and solar energy sources since large-scale energy storage is a bottleneck that currently impedes growth of renewable electricity markets. This technology may also find application in hydrogen fuel cells. The reduced fuel cell production costs could allow for easier adoption of fuel cell-powered vehicles resulting in the reduction of emissions in the transportation sector.This I-Corps project develops proton-exchange membranes comprised of perfluorophosphonic acid-zirconium polymers. These membranes are derived from affordable natural materials resulting in the potential for low-cost manufacturing via a new synthetic strategy that employs novel free-radical coupling reactions. Proof-of-concept investigations show that these new membranes demonstrate high proton conductivity in water and may significantly reduce vanadium crossovers for redox flow battery applications. This I-Corps project may help identify potential commercialization pathways for these materials and process innovations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.