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  • Article
    Citation - Scopus: 16
    New generation radiation-grafted PVDF-g-VBC based dual-fiber electrospun anion exchange membranes
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Kırlıoğlu,A.C.; Rajabalizadeh Mojarrad,N.; Alkan Gürsel,S.; Güler,E.; Yarar Kaplan,B.
    Anion Exchange Membranes (AEM) have the potential to solve the cost issues of fuel cell technologies due to their basic environment that can allow the use of cheaper components. However, there is still a need to develop an ideal inexpensive, mechanically robust AEM with high ionic conductivity and ion exchange capacity (IEC). In this work, we present various dual-fiber electrospun membranes based on a novel radiation-grafted copolymer. First, the synthesis route of radiation-induced grafting of vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) onto poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to prepare PVDF-g-VBC was optimized. Then, PVDF-g-VBC powders were used to fabricate dual-fiber electrospun mats with inert PVDF and commercial Fumion-FAA-3 ionomer. Dual-fiber electrospun mats were hot-pressed and then quaternized with trimethylamine. Finally, mechanical properties, ion exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, and morphology of these prepared dual-fiber electrospun membranes were investigated. The dual-fiber membrane prepared with PVDF-g-VBC (88% of the total weight of the membrane) and PVDF: Fumion-FAA-3 (1:2) mix (12 wt%) realized ionic conductivity of 4.67 mS/cm at 25 °C, high ion exchange capacity of 1.35 mmol/g with Young's Modulus of 761 MPa. The membrane based on the combination of radiation grafting and dual-fiber electrospinning was prepared for the first time in literature and offers the prospect of tuning and fine-control of mechanical and physicochemical properties of AEMs. © 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 11
    Citation - Scopus: 13
    Characterization and Fuel Cell Performance of Divinylbenzene Crosslinked Phosphoric Acid Doped Membranes Based on 4-Vinylpyridine Grafting Onto Poly(ethylene-Co Films
    (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, 2018) Guler, Enver; Sadeghi, Sahl; Gursel, Selmiye Alkan
    The effect of divinylbenzene (DVB) as crosslinker on the graft polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) from poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films was studied. The resulted films were doped with phosphoric acid (PA) and characterized for mechanical, surface, thermal properties, and fuel cell performance. The crosslinked membrane obtained from grafting a mixture of 4VP with 1% DVB improved the polymerization kinetics and resulted in about 50% graft level depending on graft conditions. The crosslinked membranes were also found to have better mechanical properties compared to its non-crosslinked counterpart. The resulted membrane exhibited proton conductivity as high as 75 mS/cm under 50% relative humidity (RH) at 120 degrees C, besides almost doubling the power output of fuel cell compared to a non-crosslinked membrane. To the best of our knowledge, DVB crosslinked 4VP based ETFE membranes were, for the first time, tested in practical fuel cell test station correlating their performance to operating temperature. Furthermore, surface properties of produced membranes were additionally correlated to the degree of crosslinking. Humidity dependence is less pronounced in the produced membranes resulting in strong potential for testing at intermediate temperature (80-120 degrees C) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.