Robust Piperidinium-Enriched Polystyrene Ionomers for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Water Electrolyzers
Nanjun Chen, Qu Jiang, Fang Song, Xile Hu
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Durable and efficient anion exchange polyelectrolytes (AEPs) are crucial for the long-term operation of cost-effective anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) and water electrolyzers (AEMWEs). Here, we present a new class of γ-amine-piperidinium-functionalized polystyrene AEPs (P-AP-Ca), featuring a carbazole segment to tune ion exchange capacities (IECs). The P-AP-Ca AEPs possess high OH – conductivity and outstanding alkaline stability in 1 M NaOD/CD 3 OD/D 2 O at 80 °C for 6,000 h, making them among the most stable AEPs reported to date. P-AP-Ca-based AEMFCs with a Co–Mn cathode achieve a highest peak power density of 1.38 W cm –2 at 80 °C. Moreover, P-AP-Ca-based AEMWEs with a NiFeOOH anode deliver a high current density of 6.3 A cm –2 at 2 V, and the cell can be run stably at 2 or 3 A cm –2 over 1,100 h in 1 M KOH. These results demonstrate the remarkable robustness and effectiveness of these new AEPs for next-generation alkaline energy devices.