Poly(bis-arylimidazoliums) possessing high hydroxide ion exchange capacity and high alkaline stability.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31127108.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-10292-z and PMC identifier 6534565.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Solid polymer electrolyte electrochemical energy conversion devices that operate under highly alkaline conditions afford faster reaction kinetics and the deployment of inexpensive electrocatalysts compared with their acidic counterparts. The hydroxide anion exchange polymer is a key component of any solid polymer electrolyte device that operates under alkaline conditions. However, durable hydroxide-conducting polymer electrolytes in highly caustic media have proved elusive, because polymers bearing cations are inherently unstable under highly caustic conditions. Here we report a systematic investigation of novel arylimidazolium and bis-arylimidazolium compounds that lead to the rationale design of robust, sterically protected poly(arylimidazolium) hydroxide anion exchange polymers that possess a combination of high ion-exchange capacity and exceptional stability.