Synthesis of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-poly (arylene ether ketone) copolymers for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

摘要

A new series of hydrophobic-hydropbilic multiblock copolymers derived from fluorine terminated poly(arylene ether ketone) as hydrophobic blocks and phenoxide terminated sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) as hydrophilic blocks were successfully synthesized and evaluated for use as proton exchange membranes (PEMs). All the hydrophobic and hydrophilic oligomers were synthesized via molecular-weight controlled step growth polymerization of the monomers. ~1H NMR spectra were used as characterization tool to determine the telechelic oligomers' molecular weight and multiblock copolymer's structure. The morphologies of multiblock copolymers were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed they had a clear microphase-separated structure between the hydrophilic domains and hydrophobic domains. All the sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-poly (arylene ether ketone) copolymers can easily be cast into tough membranes for applications in proton exchange membrane.