Freestanding Bipolar Membranes with an Electrospun Junction for High Current Density Water Splitting.

Freestanding bipolar membranes (BPMs) with an extended-area water splitting junction were fabricated utilizing electrospinning. The junction layer was composed of a mixed fiber mat that was made by concurrently electrospinning sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and quaternized poly(phenylene oxide) (QPPO), with water splitting catalyst nanoparticles intermittently deposited between the fibers. The mat was sandwiched between solution cast SPEEK and QPPO films and hot-pressed to form a dense trilayer BPM with an extended-area junction of finite thickness, composed of QPPO nanofibers embedded in a SPEEK matrix with the catalyst nanoparticles interspaced between the two polymers.

High-Voltage Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries Enabled by Catalyzed Water Dissociation and Acid-Base Neutralization in Bipolar Membranes.

Aqueous redox flow batteries that employ organic molecules as redox couples hold great promise for mitigating the intermittency of renewable electricity through efficient, low-cost diurnal storage. However, low cell potentials and sluggish ion transport often limit the achievable power density. Here, we explore bipolar membrane (BPM)-enabled acid-base redox flow batteries in which the positive and negative electrodes operate in the alkaline and acidic electrolytes, respectively.

Electrospun Hybrid Perfluorosulfonic Acid/Sulfonated Silica Composite Membranes.

Electrospinning was employed to fabricate composite membranes containing perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) reinforcement and a sulfonated silica network, where the latter was incorporated either in the PFSA matrix or in the PVDF fibers. The best membrane, in terms of proton conductivity, was made by incorporating the sulfonated silica network in PFSA fibers (Type-A) while the lowest conductivity membrane was obtained when sulfonated silica was incorporated into the reinforcing PVDF fibers (Type-B). A Type-A membrane containing 65 wt.

Sulfated chitosan/PVA absorbent membrane for removal of copper and nickel ions from aqueous solutions-Fabrication and sorption studies.

Novel absorbents for the removal of Cu and Ni ions from aqueous solutions were prepared from solution cast sulfated chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol membranes (SCS/PVA) and their properties were investigated. FTIR, SEM, XRD and TGA analyses were used to determine membrane structure. The effect of environmental parameters on absorption was studied, including pH, contact time, temperature and the initial concentration of Ni and Cu ions.

High Areal Capacity Si/LiCoO Batteries from Electrospun Composite Fiber Mats.

Freestanding nanofiber mat Li-ion battery anodes containing Si nanoparticles, carbon black, and poly(acrylic acid) (Si/C/PAA) are prepared using electrospinning. The mats are compacted to a high fiber volume fraction (≈0.85), and interfiber contacts are welded by exposing the mat to methanol vapor.

Electrospun Nafion/Polyphenylsulfone Composite Membranes for Regenerative Hydrogen Bromine Fuel Cells.

The regenerative H₂/Br₂-HBr fuel cell, utilizing an oxidant solution of Br₂ in aqueous HBr, shows a number of benefits for grid-scale electricity storage. The membrane-electrode assembly, a key component of a fuel cell, contains a proton-conducting membrane, typically based on the perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer. Unfortunately, the high cost of PFSA membranes and their relatively high bromine crossover are serious drawbacks.