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Membranes
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Polymer Ion Conducting Electrolytes for Energy Storage and Conversion Devices
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Polymer Ion Conducting Electrolytes for Energy Storage and Conversion Devices

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 7023

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luca Pasquini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MADIREL (UMR 7246) and International Laboratory, Ionomer Materials for Energy, Campus St Jérôme, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, 13013 Marseille, France
Interests: ionomers; polymer membranes; fuel cell; batteries; biofuel cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the development and continuous growth of the renewable energy production has pushed researchers to look for the optimum method to store and convert back energy to solve the problem of the intermittent energy generation and thus to guarantee the electrical grid stability. Among all the systems utilized, electrochemical energy storage and conversion (EESC) devices, such as batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, etc., are very promising. Their development and increasing performances are mandatory for an efficient management of energy. However, these devices have not yet reached complete maturity in terms of performance and cost reduction. Among all the components that are necessary for the operation of these devices, the ion-conducting electrolyte is fundamental. The so-called ionomer-based (i.e., polymers with grafted ionic groups ) electrolytes, often in the form of a solid membrane, can conduct cations, anions, or both, and they have to satisfy a lot of different requirements, which are sometimes very challenging. They have to accomplish the following:

  • guarantee a high ionic conduction;
  • be as thin as possible;
  • guarantee the electrical insulation between the electrodes (resist high current densities and to possible perforations);
  • be stable at different temperatures and/or different relative humidities and/or environments;
  • be stable over a long period of operation;
  • be safe for the suitable application;
  • have a low cost.

Many ionomers are available on the market today, and even more are the subjects of research. It is for this reason that we are pleased to invite you to this Special Issue of Membranes that is focused on the recent advancements in ionomers used as electrolytes in EESC devices. Original research articles (based on lab or pilot scale experiments, simulations, or reviews) are welcome above all in the field of membranes (included reinforced membranes, membranes realised with polymer blends, and composite membranes) but also of gel or dispersion in liquid solution of ion-conducting polymers of the last generation. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: batteries, fuel cells and biofuel cells, redox flow batteries, micro-EESC devices, and electrolysers.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Luca Pasquini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymer electrolyte
  • ionomers
  • polymer membranes
  • ionic conduction
  • fuel cells
  • batteries

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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18 pages, 3801 KiB  
Article
Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices
by Matteo Di Virgilio, Andrea Basso Peressut, Angelo Pontoglio, Saverio Latorrata and Giovanni Dotelli
Membranes 2023, 13(4), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13040428 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2035
Abstract
The appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the [...] Read more.
The appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the design of a simple, safe, and reproducible procedure to prepare self-assembling GO/PBI composite membranes characterized by GO-to-PBI (X:Y) mass ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. SEM and XRD suggested a homogenous reciprocal dispersion of GO and PBI, which established an alternated stacked structure by mutual π-π interactions among the benzimidazole rings of PBI and the aromatic domains of GO. TGA indicated a remarkable thermal stability of the composites. From mechanical tests, improved tensile strengths but worsened maximum strains were observed with respect to pure PBI. The preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the GO/PBI X:Y composites as proton exchange membranes was executed via IEC determination and EIS. GO/PBI 2:1 (IEC: 0.42 meq g−1; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0464 S cm−1) and GO/PBI 3:1 (IEC: 0.80 meq g−1; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0451 S cm−1) provided equivalent or superior performances with respect to similar PBI-based state-of-the-art materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Ion Conducting Electrolytes for Energy Storage and Conversion Devices)
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13 pages, 4467 KiB  
Article
Improved Hydrolytic and Mechanical Stability of Sulfonated Aromatic Proton Exchange Membranes Reinforced by Electrospun PPSU Fibers
by Luca Pasquini, Maxime Sauvan, Riccardo Narducci, Emanuela Sgreccia, Philippe Knauth and Maria Luisa Di Vona
Membranes 2022, 12(11), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12111159 - 17 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1896
Abstract
The hydrolytic stability of ionomer membranes is a matter of concern for the long-term durability of energy storage and conversion devices. Various reinforcement strategies exist for the improvement of the performances of the overall membrane. We propose in this article the stabilization of [...] Read more.
The hydrolytic stability of ionomer membranes is a matter of concern for the long-term durability of energy storage and conversion devices. Various reinforcement strategies exist for the improvement of the performances of the overall membrane. We propose in this article the stabilization of membranes based on aromatic ion conducting polymers (SPEEK and SPPSU) by the introduction of an electrospun mat of inexpensive PPSU polymer. Characterization data from hydrolytic stability (mass uptake and dimension change) and from mechanical and conductivity measurements show an improved stability of membranes in phosphate buffer, used for enzymatic fuel cells, and in distilled water. The synergistic effect of the reinforcement, together with the casting solvent and the thermal treatment or blending polymers, is promising for the realization of high stability ionomer membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Ion Conducting Electrolytes for Energy Storage and Conversion Devices)
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13 pages, 2053 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Commercial Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL) by Liquid Extrusion Porometry (LEP) and Gas Liquid Displacement Porometry (GLDP)
by René I. Peinador, Oumaima Abba and José I. Calvo
Membranes 2022, 12(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12020212 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2416
Abstract
This works aims to study the porous characterization of several commercial Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL). Three carbon-based porous GDL featuring a highly rigid microstructure of interconnected pores of several manufacturers were analyzed. Gas Liquid Displacement Porometry (GLDP) and Liquid Extrusion Porometry (LEP) have [...] Read more.
This works aims to study the porous characterization of several commercial Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL). Three carbon-based porous GDL featuring a highly rigid microstructure of interconnected pores of several manufacturers were analyzed. Gas Liquid Displacement Porometry (GLDP) and Liquid Extrusion Porometry (LEP) have been used to obtain their pore size distributions (PSD) and the mean and mode pore diameters (davg and dmod), by means of a gas/liquid and extrusion porometer developed at IFTS. N-dodecane liquid has been used to completely wet the GDL’s assuring penetration of the liquid into the carbon fibrous structure. The results demonstrated the accuracy of the setup on characterizing GDL in the Particle Filtration (PF) range by GLDP and LEP, with reasonable agreements of resulting PSD and average sizes between both techniques when GLDP and LEP results are compared. Differences can be explained in terms of the high pore connectivity of these kinds of structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Ion Conducting Electrolytes for Energy Storage and Conversion Devices)
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