TY  - EJOU
AU  - Yuan, Minghao 
AU  - Ma, Lingling 
AU  - Li, Lv 
AU  - Gong, Shoutao 
AU  - Bai, Lei 
AU  - Ren, Yanzhen 
AU  - Zhang, Xinli 
AU  - Qaisrani, Naeem Akhtar 
AU  - Zhang, Fengxiang 

TI  - Bi-Crown-Ether Modified Bi-Piperidinium Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications
T2  - Journal of Polymer Materials

PY  - 2025
VL  - 42
IS  - 4
SN  - 0976-3449

AB  - Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells require membranes with a balance of high conductivity and durability. In this work, a novel bi-crown-ether modified piperidine structure was designed and synthesized, which was then introduced into the side chain of poly(arylene piperidinium), making a unique bi-crown-ether modified bi-piperidinium side chain grafted polymer for AEM fabrication. The double crown ether units enhanced cation–water interactions and promoted microphase separation, thereby forming efficient hydroxide ion transport channels. The resulting membrane exhibited high water uptake, well-defined ion clusters, and a hydroxide conductivity of 123 mS cm<sup>−1</sup> at 80°C with an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 1.56 mmol g<sup>−1</sup>. After alkaline treatment in 1 M NaOH at 80°C for 960 h, the membrane retained ~85% of its initial conductivity, demonstrating excellent chemical stability. In H<sub>2</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> fuel cell tests at 60°C, the membrane achieved a peak power density of 558 mW cm<sup>−2</sup> at 1040 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>. These findings highlight the potential of bi-crown-ether modified piperidinium side chain grafting as an effective strategy to enhance ion conduction properties of AEMs for fuel cell applications.
KW  - Anion exchange membrane; fuel cell; crown ether; piperidinium; conductivity

DO  - 10.32604/jpm.2025.071240