Electrochemical Performance and Alkaline Stability of Cross-linked Quaternized Polyepichlorohydrin/PvDF Blends for Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

In the pursuit of good performing, low cost, and scalable anion-exchange membranes (AEM), a series of blended electrolytes based on cross-linked quaternized poly epichlorohydrin (qPECH) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PvDF) were prepared to evaluate their suitability for AEM fuel cell application. The thermo-mechanical and swelling analyses revealed that the blending of these two macromolecules produces robust and heat-resistant microphase-segregated membranes with good dimensional stability. By varying the blend ratio, the ion-exchange capacity (IEC) and transport properties of the resulting membrane can be easily adjusted and optimized with clear impact on its electrochemical performance. At 67:33 wt % blend ratio, high hydroxide conductivity (i.e., 56.3 mS cm–1 at 80 °C) and quite reasonable alkaline stability were achieved. The single H2–O2 fuel cell using the qP-67 membrane yielded a beginning-of-life maximum power density of 32 mW cm–2 and an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.03 V at 50 °C without optimization. These preliminary results demonstrate that qPECH/PvDF blended membranes can be potentially applied in AEMFCs.