原位交联阴离子交换膜与离子聚合物的一体化设计及水电解性能

Integrated Design and Water Electrolysis Performance of In-situ Crosslinked Anion Exchange Membranes and Ionomers

摘要

阴离子交换膜（AEM）与催化层离子聚合物虽然分子结构相似，但在器件应用中却需考虑膜与离子聚合物对吸水率、气体透过率等的不同要求。此外，离子聚合物的黏性差，导致催化剂易脱落，膜电极寿命短。针对上述问题，本文提出用 1,6-二碘己烷与 1,2-双（2-碘乙氧基）乙烷分别作为交联剂原位交联阴离子交换膜与离子聚合物。利用交联剂相似的分子结构，提高膜与催化层界面的相容性；同时通过 1,2-双（2-碘乙氧基）乙烷的醚键提高离子聚合物的吸水性和透气性，从而提升电极性能。结果表明，交联后膜与离子聚合物在碱性环境下表现出优异的化学与尺寸稳定性。基于交联膜与离子聚合物组装的膜电极在 60 ℃、电流密度 1.0 A/cm² 下的槽压为 1.66 V，并能稳定运行超过 800 h，验证了该原位交联与一体化设计在高性能阴离子交换膜电解水中的应用潜力。

Abstract

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and ionomers in catalytic layers share similar molecular structures. However, they require distinct properties, such as water uptake and gas permeability, in device applications. Additionally, the poor viscosity of the ionomer leads to catalyst detachment, thereby shortening the lifetime of membrane electrode assembly (MEA). To address these challenges, this study proposes in-situ crosslinking of membranes and ionomers using 1,6-diiodohexane and 1,2-bis(2-iodoethoxy)ethane as crosslinkers. The structural similarity of the crosslinkers enhances the interface compatibility between membrane and catalytic layer. The ethoxy ether bonds in 1,2-bis(2-iodoethoxy)ethane further improve the hydrophilicity and gas permeability of ionomer, boosting the performance of electrode. The crosslinked membranes and ionomers exhibit exceptional chemical and dimensional stability in alkaline environments. MEA assembled with crosslinked AEM and ionomer achieves a low cell voltage of 1.66 V at 1.0 A/cm² and 60 ℃ with stable operation for over 800 h. These results validate the potential of in-situ crosslinking and the integrated design of membrane and ionomer for high-performance AEM water electrolysis.

关键词

阴离子交换膜 / 电解水 / 原位交联 / 离子聚合物 / 一体化设计

Key words

anion exchange membrane / water electrolysis / in-situ crosslinking / ionomer / integrated design

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基金资助

国家自然科学基金(22179140)