Thin Film Fuel Cell and Water Purification Membranes Cast from Alcohol/Water Nanodispersions of Disulfonated Poly(Arylene Ether) Copolymers

摘要

Disulfonated poly(arylene ether) (SPAE) copolymers have been widely used in diverse applications such as fuel cells and water purification owing to their hydrophilic nature and ion-selective characteristics. However, SPAE copolymers are mostly soluble only in polar aprotic solvents with high boiling points. Accordingly, the development of an alternative polymer processing techniques using benign solvents is of great interest. This paper will describe a new platform (termed, “alcohol/water nanodispersion casting”) which enables the fabrication of thin films with unique characteristics including surprisingly improved permeation/selection behavior.