Structural Transitions During Formation and Rehydration of Proton Conducting Polymeric Membranes

Knowledge of the transitions occurring during formation ion-conducting polymer films and membranes is crucial to optimize material performances. The use non-destructive scattering techniques that offer high spatio-temporal resolution essential investigating such structural transitions, especially when combined with complementary probing at different time spatial scales. Here, a simultaneous multi-technique study performed on membrane mechanism subsequent hydration two polymers, well-known commercial Nafion synthesized sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfide sulfone) (sPSS). X-ray data distinguish multi-stage processes drying. A sol-gel-membrane transition sequence observed for both polymers. However, while evolves from micellar solution through phase-separated gel, forming an oriented supported membrane, sPSS dispersed polyelectrolyte chains via inhomogeneous showing assembly ionic phase separation only end drying process. Impedance spectroscopy confirm occurrence sol-gel gel-membrane are detected by optical reflectance data. approach presented here can connect nanoscale macroscopic behavior, unraveling information