Anion Exchange Membranes Synthesized by Acetalization of Poly(vinyl alcohol) for Fuel Cells

Abstract

High-performance anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are the bottleneck of the commercialization of alkaline AEM fuel cells. Various methods have been developed to prepare AEMs with high ionic conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and alkaline stability. Among them, modification of various commercial polymers is a facile and effective way. To broaden the category of the commercial polymer-based AEMs, herein, a series of AEMs based on poly(vinyl alcohol) were prepared by acetalization. The PVA–FBMPx–TPAz membrane achieved OH– conductivity up to 200.4 mS cm–1 at 80 °C with appropriate water uptake and a low swelling ratio. Moreover, a high peak power density of 982 mW cm–2 was obtained in a H2/O2 fuel cell test.