Sulfonated Polyimide Proton Exchange Membranes with Graphene Oxide show Improved Proton Conductivity, Methanol Crossover Impedance, and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Graphene oxide has been utilized to enhance the proton conductivity and mechanical properties and reduce the methanol permeability of polymer exchange membranes. The membranes exhibit dramatic improvements in proton conductivity (490.3%), methanol permeability (a 508.9% decrease in methanol permeability and a near 25-fold increase in selectivity of proton conductivity to methanol permeability were achieved at 80 °C) and the mechanical properties (134.4% enhancements in tensile strength at 30 °C) with SPI/GO_0.5 wt%.