Production of sulfonated perfluorocyclobutane polymer for use in proton exchange membranes for fuel cells, involves sulfonating perfluorocyclobutane polymer with oleum or sulfur trioxide

摘要

A method (M1) for the production of sulfonated perfluoro-cyclobutane polymers (I) by sulfonating perfluorocyclobutane polymers (II) with a sulfonating agent, in which the sulfonating agent contains oleum or sulfur trioxide. Independent claims are included for (1) a method (M2) for the production of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) by sulfonating (II) to give (I), and then forming (I) to a PEM (2) fuel cells containing PEM as above (3) a method (M3) for assembling a device with (a) a membrane-electrode unit (MEU) comprising conductive material on each side of a PEM made as described in M2, in (b) an electrochemical reaction structure comprising electrochemical cell(s) configured so that first and second reactants are converted into electrical energy, with the MEU as above, anode and cathode current field sections on opposite sides of the MEU, an inlet feeding the first reactant over the anode field section to the anode side of the MEU and another inlet feeding the second reactant over the cathode current field section to the cathode side of the MEU .