Poly(carbazole)-based anion-conducting materials with high performance and durability for energy conversion devices. Issue 10 (14th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cha, Min Suc; Park, Ji Eun; Kim, Sungjun; Han, Seung-Hui; Shin, Sang-Hun; Yang, Seok Hwan; Kim, Tae-Ho; Yu, Duk Man; So, Soonyong; Hong, Young Taik; Yoon, Sang Jun; Oh, Seong-Geun; Kang, Sun Young; Kim, Ok-Hee; Park, Hyun S.; Bae, Byungchan; Sung, Yung-Eun; Cho, Yong-Hun; Lee, Jang Yong
• Is Part Of: Energy & environmental science. Volume 13:Issue 10(2020)
• Page Start: 3633
• Page End: 3645
• Publication Date: 2020-09-14
• Subjects: Energy conversion -- Periodicals; Fuel switching -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1039/d0ee01842b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-5692

Abstract

Abstract : An aryl ether-free less-phenyl adsorbing poly-carbazole-based polymer shows superior performance and durability for anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. Abstract : Anion conducting polymers (ACPs) are essential materials for alkaline electrochemical energy technology such as anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) and water electrolysers (AEMWEs). The aforementioned polymers are promising alternatives for proton exchange membrane-based systems due to the possibility of using platinum group metal-free electrocatalysts. However, there are still no reliable ACPs possessing the desired performance and stability, which is a major challenge for developing alkaline energy systems. Herein, we highlight an anion-exchange membrane and ionomer based on quaternised poly-carbazole (QPC-TMA ) with a rigid ether-free and curved backbone structure comprised of carbazole monomers. The developed ACP exhibits excellent ionic conductivity, as well as chemical and mechanical stability. Moreover, the AEMFC using QPC-TMA shows excellent performance (1.61 W cm −2 ) compared with the other best-performing AEMFCs. In addition, the AEMWE using QPC-TMA demonstrates outstanding stability and state-of-the-art performance (3.5 A cm −2 at 1.9 V), which is the first report of an AEMWE that outperforms the best-performing proton-exchange membrane water electrolysers.