Structure-property relationships in graft-type polymer electrolyte membranes studied by complemental SAXS/SANS analyses

SAXS/SANS相補利用によるグラフト型高分子電解質膜の構造/機能解析

前川 康成

Maekawa, Yasunari

Radiation-induced grafting technique was applied to the development of anion-conducting electrolyte membranes (AEMs) for alkaline hydrated hydrazine-fuel cells. The graft-type AEMs containing imidazolium graft-polymers attached on poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) could solve the currently most concerned problems, conductivity and alkaline durability at the operating condition (1M KOH, 80C). The hierarchical structures of the graft-type AEM were investigated using amall angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). The graft-type AEMs were composed of conducting graft domains around ETFE lamellar crystals with periods of 20-30 nm. The contrast variation method of SANS revealed that the ion-channels contained graft-polymers and water with a period of ca. 5 nm. It should be concluded that the graft-polymer containing ion-channels around ETFE lamellar crystals and crystallite domains should be origins of high conductivity and alkaline durability of graft-type AEMs.