Contrast Variation Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Study on Morphology of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

コントラスト変調中性子小角散乱法による高分子電解質膜の構造評価

Zhao, Y.; 小泉 智; 陸川 政弘*; 吉田 実留*

Zhao, Y.; Koizumi, Satoshi; Rikukawa, Masahiro*; Yoshida, Miru*

We investigate the morphologies of a newly designed hydrocarbonate polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), and commercial PEM Nafion. Two scattering maximums were observed for both materials at low q and high q regions for wet membranes, where q is a magnitude of scattering vector. The low q maximum is attributed to the formation of microdomain upon either swelling or crystallites, whereas the high q maximum is due to the formation of ionic clusters. The mesoscale and microscale structures could be elucidated by the contrast variation neutron scattering technique.