abstract
A wide range of concentrations of the [EIm][TfO] proton ionic liquid (PIL) were for the first time incorporated into a poly(oxyethyelene) (POE)/siloxane hybrid host matrix (d-U(2000)) belonging to the di-ureasil family. The synthesis procedure adopted, involving the lowest amount of water possible, resulted in the formation of essentially anhydrous electrolytes at certain PIL levels. The optimized sample d-U(2000)/[EIm][TfO] 50 (where 50 represents the ratio in % of the mass of [EIm][TfO] per mass of POE precursor) is amorphous, thermally stable up to 200 degrees C, displays good mechanical properties and exhibits an ionic conductivity of 3.2 x 10(-4) and 4.3 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 20 and 186 degrees C, respectively. These features have persisted for more than three years. These new electrolytes appear quite attractive for applications in fuel cells operating under non-humidified conditions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
keywords
ORGANICALLY MODIFIED SILICATES; FUEL-CELL ELECTROLYTES; MEMBRANES; POLYMERIZATION
subject category
Electrochemistry
authors
Cardoso, MA; Fernandes, M; Rodrigues, LC; Leones, R; Silva, MM; Bermudez, VD
our authors
Marita Alves Cardoso
PhD StudentGroups
Projects
acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) and FEDER for financial support (contracts PTDC/CTM-BPC/112774/2009, PEst-OE/QUI/UI0616/2014 and PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2013) and COST Action MP1202 " Rational design of hybrid organic-inorganic interfaces". M. A. Cardoso, M. Fernandes and R. Leones acknowledge FCT for grants (contracts BII/UNI/0616/QUI/2009 SFRH/BPD/78919/2011 and SFRH/BD/ 90366/2012, respectively).