Dielectric relaxations in phosphoric acid-doped poly(2, 5-benzimidazole) and its composite membranes
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Supporting information
Accepted version
Author(s)
Saleha, WFG
Ramesh, R
Nalajala, N
Ladewig, BP
Neergat, M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI)—a promising high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane—is characterized over a wide range of temperature (−50 to 220 °C) using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) to understand the various relaxation processes. The undoped ABPBI membrane shows two major secondary relaxations and a primary α relaxation. The effect of phosphoric acid (PA) and phosphotungstic acid grafted zirconium dioxide (PWA/ZrO2) nanoparticles on the chain relaxation and the proton conductivity is investigated. The phosphoric acid alters the relaxation trends, increases the number of free ions in the polymer matrix, and therefore the conductivity. The shift in the peak frequencies of different chain relaxation processes in the presence of PA and PWA/ZrO2 is attributed to the increase in free volume and the consequent easy motion of the polymer chains. The Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy of ABPBI and the acid-doped composites show all the relevant peaks corresponding to C[DOUBLE BOND]C, C[DOUBLE BOND]N stretching, and phosphoric acid/phosphates, confirming the formation of ABPBI and doping with PA. The proton conductivity of the membranes is estimated from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). To establish the effect of change in crystallinity on relaxations and proton conductivity, the undoped and PA-doped membranes are characterized using thermogravimetric analysis and in situ XRD at high temperatures.
Date Issued
2017-02-11
Date Acceptance
2016-12-29
Citation
Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2017, 134 (22)
ISSN
1097-4628
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Volume
134
Issue
22
Copyright Statement
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is the accepted version of the following article,, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/app.44867/abstract
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Polymer Science
broadband dielectric spectroscopy
conductivity
HT-PEMs
nanocomposites
polymer relaxations
ELECTROLYTE FUEL-CELLS
CONDUCTING POLYMER MEMBRANES
PHOSPHOTUNGSTIC ACID
ABPBI MEMBRANES
TEMPERATURE
POLYBENZIMIDAZOLE
PERFORMANCE
SPECTROSCOPY
HYDROGEN
Polymers
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
44867