Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are of great importance to many stationary and portable applications. The development of a more efficient, high-temperature tolerant membrane with a high protonic conductivity has become critical to the better performance of PEMFCs. Consequently, the focus of current research is more focused on synthesizing membranes which can function at a non-humidified high temperature environment.
Because N-heterocycles such as azoles substituted on a polyphosphazene backbone have been found to be one of the best polymers in this regard, the focus of this dissertation is primarily on developing PEMs (proton exchange membranes) based on azole and pyridine substituted phosphazenes. In Chapter 1, an overview on PEMFCs as well as PEMs that have been synthesized to date is presented. The first part of the introduction is devoted to sulfonated fluorocarbon-based membrane, Nafion®. Then the focus slowly shifts towards PEMs based on hydrocarbon polymers. The rest of Chapter 1 mainly revolves around polyphosphazene based PEMs. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of trimeric, small-molecule, model compounds for high polymers. A series of hexakis(azolylmethylphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazenes where the azolyl groups are pyrazol, 1,2,4-triazol and 5-methyltetrazol and all three isomers of
hexakis(pyridinoxy)cyclotriphosphazenes have been synthesized and characterized. The focus of Chapter 3 is on the synthesis of poly(dichlorophosphazene) by modifying a literature procedure reported by Wang (Macromolecules 2005, 38, 643-645) via one-pot in situ polycondensation. Chapter 3 also presents a preliminary study on ring opening polymerization. The focus of Chapter 4 is completely on the synthesis and characterization of azole and pyridine substituted polyphosphazenes. Chapter 5 includes film casting studies from both triazolphenol trimer and polymer to obtain corresponding composites and blends by mixing with commercially available poly(PMDA-ODA) amic acid. The cast films were imidized and the degree of imidization was monitored by FTIR. Acid doping studies of each undoped film was performed prior to reporting proton conductivity.