Design of Functional Gyroid Minimal Surfaces Transporting Proton Based Solely on Surface Hopping Conduction Mechanism.

Surface proton hopping conduction (SPHC) mechanisms is an important proton conduction mechanism in conventional polymer electrolytes, along with the Grotthuss and vehicle mechanisms. Due to the small diffusion coefficient of protons in the SPHC mechanism, few studies have focused on the SPHC mechanism. Recently, it has been found that a dense alignment of SO groups significantly lowers the activation energy in the SPHC mechanism, enabling fast proton conduction.

Surface proton hopping conduction mechanism dominant polymer electrolytes created by self-assembly of bicontinuous cubic liquid crystals.

For the development of the next generation of fuel cells, it is essential to create an innovative design principle of polymer electrolytes that is beyond extension of the existing strategy. In the present study, we focused on the surface hopping proton conduction mechanism where an activation energy for proton conduction is greatly reduced by decreasing the distance between SO groups. Our gyroid nanostructured polymer film (Film-G), with a hydrophilic surface where the SO groups are aligned densely and precisely, shows high proton conductivity of the order of 10 S cm when the water content is about 15 wt%.