Characterisation of hydration water in Nafion membrane. Issue 16 (1st March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parker, Stewart F.; Shah, Shrey
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 11:Issue 16(2021)
• Page Start: 9381
• Page End: 9385
• Publication Date: 2021-03-01
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00791b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Hydration of fully dried Nafion membrane results in the formation of oxonium ions of increasing complexity, up to H9 O4 + . Beyond this, water behaves as the bulk liquid. Abstract : Nafion, a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer with perfluorinated-vinyl-polyether side chains ending in sulfonic acid groups, is widely used as the proton-exchange membrane in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, particularly low temperature hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells. The state of hydration of the sulfonic acid groups is crucial to its operation. By using a combination of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and infrared spectroscopies, and by comparison to a series of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid hydrates of well-defined stoichiometry, we characterise how the hydration changes as a function of water content.