Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Block Copolymer for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (AEMFC)

The anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) known as hydroxide ion (OH^-) exchange fuel cells have evoked considerable attention due to their faster oxygen reduction reaction, lower fuel crossover, reduced CO poisoning, a wide choice of fuels (e. g. hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, hydrazine), and to the possibility of Pt-free catalysts. In the development of AEMFCs, anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play a critical role to make a breakthrough in AEMFC performance. Especially, alkaline stability and ion conductivity are key properties of AEMs. Although various AEMs were developed, there are still required new AEM with higher ion conductivity and stability. One of the attractive candidates is siloxane-based polymer substituted with anion exchangeable functional groups. In this study, we introduce the property of PDMS copolymer with quaternary ammonium groups.