A Green Approach for Preparing Anion Exchange Membrane by Plasma Grafting

A simpler, more eco-friendly approach for preparing anion exchange membranes (AEMs) has been developed via plasma grafting by Dr. Chengxu Zhang et al. in Plasma Application Division.

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) have been widely viewed as promising polymer electrolytes for use in water electrolysers and platinum-free low-temperature fuel cells. A variety of synthesis approaches have been developed to prepare AEMs. Great efforts have been devoted to prepare AEMs by radiation-grafting vinylbenzyl chloride monomers onto the polymer backbone and converting the benzylic chloromethyl group into benzyltrimethylammonium groups in the subsequent quaternization. Another noteworthy AEM is derived from the chloromethylation of polymers followed by quaternization. However, chloromethyl ether as the chloromethylation reaction reagent and trimethylamine as the quaternization reaction reagent, are both pungent and potentially harmful to human health.

To overcome these problems, scientists in ASIPP have been developed a green and simplified approach to synthesize AEMs by plasma-grafting. This approach enables the direct introduction of anion exchange groups into the polymer matrix, overcoming the need for toxic chloromethyl ether and quaternization reagents. The plasma-grafted AEM, which shows satisfactory alcohol resistance, selectivity, thermal stability, chemical stability, anion conductivity and mechanical properties, is promising for the construction of high-performance fuel cells and water electrolysers.

This research is financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No: 21203204, 11205202 and 11175214) and the National Nature Science Foundation of Anhui Province (No. 1308085QA09).

The related works have been published in J. Power Sources, 2014, 272: 211; J. Power Sources, 2014, 248:831; J. Power Sources, 2012, 198: 112; Chem. Commun., 2011, 47: 10230; J. Power Sources, 2011, 196: 5386; J. Power Sources, 2011, 196: 4483; Plasma Process. Polym., 2011, 8: 1024; Thin Solid Films, 2011, 519: 2155. (CHENG Junli reports)

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040609010015646