Fluorine-Free Precise Polymer Electrolyte for Efficient Proton Transport: Experiments and Simulations

Designing polymers with controlled nanoscale morphologies and scalable synthesis is of great interest in the development fluorine-free materials for proton-exchange membranes fuel cells. This study focuses on a precision polyethylene phenylsulfonic acid branches at every fifth carbon, p5PhSA, high ion-exchange capacity (4.2 mmol/g). The self-assemble into hydrophilic hydrophobic co-continuous domains. In hydrated state, domain, composed polar sulfonic moieties water, serves as pathway efficient mesoscopic proton conductivity. morphology transport p5PhSA are evaluated under conditions using situ X-ray scattering electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. At 40 °C 95% relative humidity, conductivity 0.28 S/cm, which four times greater than Nafion 117 same conditions. Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations also used to elucidate interplay between structure water dynamics. MD show strong nanophase separation percolated domains over wide range contents. domain facilitates rapid demonstrates potential precise hydrocarbon-based processible effective membranes.