RESUMO
Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) materials have been used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) as electrolyte materials due to their mechanical durability and high proton conductivity. To understand the fundamental chemistry at a molecular level in material performance properties, we have developed and validated method for evaluating local dynamics using 19F double-quantum solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy. The local dynamics information can be separated and analyzed in terms of fluorine interactions with respect to the different temperatures and hydration levels. The polymer side chain is proven to be more locally mobile which is reflected by the lower apparent dipolar coupling constant (Dapp) compared to the backbone. This observation agrees with the micro-phase separation morphology evolution. In the current study, different types of PFSA materials were explored and compared. The dynamics investigation of the PFSA materials has been conducted at various conditions. In operando membrane performance analyses were performed in parallel at Ballard Power Systems. PFSA membranes were prepared into membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), with catalyst layers and gas diffusion layers. From the cyclic voltammetry measurements, the H2 crossover values were extracted. These data reveal a strong correlation between the proton conductivity and the site-specific PFSA side chain local dynamics. Moreover, a correlation was drawn between increasing side chain mobility (lower Dapp), and increased H2 permeability. The link between the fundamental dynamics study and this key PFSA performance analysis provides insight into proton transport mechanisms.
RESUMO
Imidazole phosphate and phosphonate solid acids model the hydrogen-bonding networks and dynamics of the anhydrous electrolyte candidate for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Solid-state NMR reveals that phosphate and phosphonate anion dynamics dominate the rate of long-range proton transport, and that the presence of a membrane host facilitates proton mobility, as evidenced by a decreased correlation time of the composites (80 ± 15 ms) relative to the pristine salt (101 ± 5 ms). Benzimidazole ethylphosphonate (Bi-ePA) is chosen as a model salt to investigate the membrane system. The hydrogen-bonding structure of Bi-ePA is established using X-ray diffraction coupled with solid-state (1)H-(1)H DQC NMR. The anion dynamics has been determined using solid-state (31)P CODEX NMR. By comparing the dynamics of ethylphosphonate groups in pristine salt and membrane-salt composites, it is clear that the rotation process involves three-site exchange. Through data interpretation, a stretched exponential function is introduced with the stretching exponent, ß, ranging 0 < ß ≤ 1. The (31)P CODEX data for pristine salt are fitted with single exponential decay where ß = 1; however, the data for the membrane-salt composites are fitted with stretched exponential functions, where ß has a constant value of 0.5. This ß value suggests a non-Gaussian distribution of the dynamic systems in the composite sample, which is introduced by the membrane host.