2/4/2011
EFFECT OF BINDER CONTENT IN CATHODE ON PERFORMANCE OF DMFC BASED ON SULFONATED POLY(ETHER ETHER KETONE)
(796 – 804) Chemical Engineering Communications 198 #6 (2011)
Jung,  Kang and Park of South Korea developed sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)s (sPEEKs) as a membrane and cathode binder for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).  The  electrochemically active surface area (EAS) decreased with higher binder content, and bulk ionic conduction of the electrode decreased with lower binder content in the cathode.  In this study, the unit cell with a cathode containing 5 wt.% sPEEK binder showed the best cell performance due to rather high EAS and proton conductivity in the cathode. (RDC 2/11/2011)

1/7/2011
Copoly(arylene ether nitrile) and copoly(arylene ether sulfone) ionomers with pendant sulfobenzoyl groups for proton conducting fuel cell membranes
(734–745)Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer  Chemistry 49 #3 (2011)
Jutemar and Jannasch of Lund University, Sweden prepared hree series of fully aromatic ionomers with naphthalene moieties and pendant sulfobenzoyl side chains via K2CO3 mediated nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions.  At ion-exchange capacities above -1.6 meq g−1, the copolymer membranes reached higher proton conductivities than Nafion® in the range between −20 and 120 °C.  (RDC 1/12/2011)

Synthesis and properties of multiblock copoly(arylene ether)s containing superacid groups for fuel cell membranes
(452–464) Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer  Chemistry 49 #2 (2011)
Mikami et al of the University of Yamanashi, Japan syntheisized wo series of telechelic oligomers, iodo-substituted oligo(arylene ether ketone)s and oligo(arylene ether sulfone)s.  The iodo groups were converted to perfluorosulfonic acid groups via the Ullmann coupling reaction. Tough and bendable membranes were prepared by solution casting. The block copolymer structure was found to be effective in improving the proton-conducting behavior of the superacid-modified poly(arylene ether) ionomer membranes without increasing the ion exchange capacity .  (RDC 1/12/2011)