The nanostructure and ion dynamics of novel hydrocarbon ionene AEMs via scattering and simulation*

Perfluorinated sulfonic acid-based (PFSA) ionomers currently dominate the fuel cell industry. However, the hostility to catalyst material, difficult and expensive synthetic routes, and environmental concerns of PFSA materials present major challenges to wider adoption of fuel cell technology. Hydrocarbon-based membranes utilize simple, well-developed synthetic routes that allow for rapid material development. We have investigated a promising series of fully aromatic hydrocarbon ionene anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) utilizing a combination of X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the morphology of these materials and have utilized molecular dynamics to investigate the role of cation and polymer architecture in ion transport dynamics. Backbone architecture appears to play a limited role in determining conductivity at constant hydration number.

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