The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

The demand for hydrocarbon-based proton exchange membranes (PEMs) is increasing due to the limitations of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid-based compounds, such as high cost and restrictions on perfluoroalkyl substances. Most hydrocarbon-based PEMs are based on condensation polymers, which exhibit high physical and thermal stability. However, chemical disorder of these polymers leads to less distinct interfaces, resulting in disordered proton channel. In contrast, block copolymers synthesized via controlled polymerization offer clear boundaries between blocks, enabling the formation of well-ordered microstructures.
In this work, reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was employed to control parameters such as microstructure, degree of sulfonation, and glass transition temperature. Through systematic optimization, the resulting membranes demonstrated excellent performance, comparable to that of commercially available Nafion.