Modified sulfonated polyphenylsulfone proton exchange membrane with enhanced fuel cell performance: A review

Modified sulfonated polyphenylsulfone proton exchange membrane with enhanced fuel cell performance: A review

The fuel cell application is an imperative energy conversion transformation with impressive potential forMalaysian future vitality. The relatively small market of fuel cell technology in Malaysia, causing considerabledevelopment in the domestic market, should be created to ensure a noteworthy contribution toMalaysia’s energy industry. Currently, the research towards advanced polymer electrolyte membranesthat can provide high proton conductivity and good durability is actively being studied. This articlereviews the promising properties of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) polymer materials as proton exchangemembranes. This alternative polymer material would be best to replace the costly and counter the drawbacksof the perfluorinated membranes in fuel cell systems. Unfortunately, the interconnected hydrophilicchannels of PPSU polymers are not well developed as the Nafion membrane. Thus, the PPSU wasmodified by a sulfonation reaction to confer their protonic conduction properties. In addition, the modificationof the highly sulfonated PPSU by thermal crosslinking as a potential technique to improve themechanical and chemical durability of the PPSU was discussed. Further, the effect of mixing various additivesto develop the PPSU nanocomposite membrane on proton conductivity, physicochemical properties,mechanical properties and fuel cell performance are also discussed in this work.

The fuel cell application is an imperative energy conversion transformation with impressive potential forMalaysian future vitality. The relatively small market of fuel cell technology in Malaysia, causing considerabledevelopment in the domestic market, should be created to ensure a noteworthy contribution toMalaysia’s energy industry. Currently, the research towards advanced polymer electrolyte membranesthat can provide high proton conductivity and good durability is actively being studied. This articlereviews the promising properties of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) polymer materials as proton exchangemembranes. This alternative polymer material would be best to replace the costly and counter the drawbacksof the perfluorinated membranes in fuel cell systems. Unfortunately, the interconnected hydrophilicchannels of PPSU polymers are not well developed as the Nafion membrane. Thus, the PPSU wasmodified by a sulfonation reaction to confer their protonic conduction properties. In addition, the modificationof the highly sulfonated PPSU by thermal crosslinking as a potential technique to improve themechanical and chemical durability of the PPSU was discussed. Further, the effect of mixing various additivesto develop the PPSU nanocomposite membrane on proton conductivity, physicochemical properties,mechanical properties and fuel cell performance are also discussed in this work.