Various separation membranes have been developed since their discovery over half a century ago, providing numerous benefits and fulfilling many applications in our everyday lives. They lend themselves to techniques ranging from microfiltration and gas separation, to what can be considered as the most advanced technique - ion exchange. This book, aimed at academic researchers, engineers and industrialists, contains a brief history of ion exchange and goes on to explain the preparation, characterization, modification and applications of these important membranes. Discussions include the use of ion exchange in analytical and medical techniques, as well as the development of future applications.

Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells Build the fuel cells of the future with this cutting-edge material Alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs) are cutting-edge polyelectrolyte materials with growing renewable energy applications including fuel cells, batteries, hydrogen electrolyzers and electrodialysis technologies. Their use in relatively new alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) is designed to produce cost-effective clean energy (electricity) produced by a chemical reaction. Rigorous studies are being conducted to meet the requirements of AAEMs precisely tailored for high anion conductivity and durability for future high energy efficient devices. Hence, over the past few years the academic and industrial scientific communities have explored various polymeric, composite and inorganic materials and studied their properties as a potential AAEM. The accumulated literature in this area of investigation is vast and in order to provide the community with the tools needed to strive forward, there is a clear need to condense this information in a single volume. Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells meets this need with a comprehensive overview of the properties of these membranes and their applications. The book considers recent developments, common challenges, and the long-term prospects for this field of research and engineering. It constitutes a one-stop resource for the development and production of AAEM fuel cells and related electrochemical applications. Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells readers will find: Discussion of electrochemical applications like redox flow batteries, water electrolysis, and many more Detailed treatment of specially tailored cationic groups such as quaternary ammonium and guanidinium Expert advice on efficient fabrication and electrode assembly Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells is ideal for electrochemists, materials scientists, polymer chemists, electrical engineers, and anyone working in power technology or related fields.

As alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AAEMFC) are regarded as promising and important energy devices, the development of high performance anion exchange membranes are in urgent need, as well as fundamental investigation on the structure-property relationship, which are the motivation of this dissertation. Three different polymer systems are presented and focused on polymer synthesis, material morphology, and ion transport phenomena. Crosslinked membranes are promising as practical materials, however, the understanding and further improvement of its performance is hindered by the lack of an ordered morphology or well-defined chemical structure. In Chapter 2, a series of crosslinked membranes were design to bear cationic groups organized via covalent linkages, which were synthesized by sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerization (RAFT), "click" chemistry, cast/crosslinking process, and solid state quaternization. Significant enhancement in conductivities was observed and presumably attributed to the formation of ion transport channels directed by polycation chains. Excellent membrane performance were observed, including conductivities, water diffusivities, and fuel cell power densities. In Chapter 3, phosphonium containing block copolymers were synthesized and subjected to morphology characterization. Using Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), it was observed that these materials form well-ordered morphologies upon solvent casting, and the ionic block preferred to form a continuous phase. By comparing the anion conductivities, the matrix in a hexagonal phase was proved to be more efficient in ion transport than lamellae. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) based triblock copolymers were synthesized in Chapter 4, by using a special chain transfer agent (CTA) to mediate Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerization (RAFT). The well-defined melting transition (~50 oC) of PCOE enabled the investigation of the thermal transition in hydrophobic block affecting ionic domain behavior. Then metal ion doped star block copolymers were investigated in bulk and thin film forms to demonstrate that the star block copolymer architecture can facilitate microphase separation and thus the preparation of smaller features. Using an ortho-nitrobenzyl ester junction, triblock copolymers based on PEO and PSt were synthesized and applied to hierarchical pattern fabrication in self-assembled thin films. During these studies, the single monomer insertion methodology was developed for high efficiency synthesis of (multi)functional RAFT CTAs. The molecular characterization and controlled polymerization results were documented in Chapter 7. The last chapter contains outlooks based on the research in this dissertation. Methods to improve the previously presented materials were listed. Also, fundamental questions were raised on ion transport membranes, and possible ways to answer them were provided. In addition, potential research directions are proposed.

Ion Exchange Membranes A comprehensive introduction to the electro-membrane technologies of the future An ion exchange membrane is a polymer-based membrane which can be permeable by some ions in a solution while blocking others, making them ideal for processes such as water desalination, salt concentration control, clean production and—given their electrical conductivity—power generation and energy storage etc. Recent advances have given rise to new electro-membrane processes that promise drastically to expand the applications of this technology. Scientists in both research and industry will increasingly need to draw on these membranes in vital ways with strongly positive potential environmental impact. Ion Exchange Membranes summarizes recent research into these membranes and electro-membrane processes before moving to an overview of the historical background. It then attends in detail to cutting-edge fabrication technologies and the most recent areas of use. The result is a comprehensive introduction to the design, fabrication, and applications of these increasingly essential membranes. Ion Exchange Membranes readers will also find: In-depth treatment of industrial-scale applications Detailed discussion of topics including side-chain engineering, polyacylation, superacid-catalyst polymerization, and more Analysis of electro-membrane processes such as alkaline membrane water electrolysis, solar-driven water splitting, and many more Ion Exchange Membranes is ideal for membrane scientists, materials scientists, inorganic chemists, polymer chemists, and researchers and engineers in a variety of fields working with ion exchange membranes and electro-membrane processes.

Fundamental study and industrial application of ion exchange membranes started over half a century ago. Through ongoing research and development, ion exchange membrane technology is now applied to many fields and contributes to the improvement of our standard of living. Ion Exchange Membranes, 2nd edition states the ion exchange membrane technology from the standpoint of fundamentals and applications. It discusses not only various phenomena exhibited by membranes but also their applications in many fields with economical evaluations. This second edition is updated and revised, featuring ten expanded chapters. New to this edition is a computer simulation program of ion-exchange membrane electrodialysis for water desalination that provides a guideline for designing, manufacturing and operating a practical-scale electrodialyzer. Meant to replace experiments, this program will be an important asset to those with time and monetary budgets. - New edition features ten revised and expanded chapters, providing the latest developments in ion exchange membrane technology - Computer simulation program, accessible through a companion website, provides a guideline for designing, manufacturing and operating practical-scale electrodialyzers - Attractive visual presentation, including many figures and diagrams

This book provides a review of the latest advances in anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Starting with an introduction to the field, it then examines the chemistry and catalysis involved in this energy technology. It also includes an introduction to the mathematical modelling of these fuel cells before discussing the system design and performance of real-world systems. Anion exchange membrane fuel cells are an emerging energy technology that has the potential to overcome many of the obstacles of proton exchange membrane fuel cells in terms of the cost, stability, and durability of materials. The book is an essential reference resource for professionals, researchers, and policymakers around the globe working in academia, industry, and government.

This thesis focuses on theory-experiments on simple ionic ionomers, namely the anionic Nafion and quaternary ammonium ion based cationic ionomer. Density functional theory calculations are correlated to experimental Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Emphasis is placed on our new classification of vibrational group modes in terms of the local symmetry of the exchange site. In addition, the durability of Nafion used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is examined. Chapter 1 provides the introduction about fuel cells and ionomers. Chapter 2 focuses on the durability of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of DMFCs. The emphasis is mainly to study the chemical degradation of Nafion 117 used in DMFCs. MEAs from the lifetime tested DMFCs (up to 1500 h) were used for the studies. The assemblies were studied postmortem by Attenuated total reflectance Infrared (ATR-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The major findings were that Ru crosses over from the anode to the cathode with expected changes in the respective lattice parameters. In addition, it was found that there was no change in the cross sectional ATR-IR of the membrane irrespective of the time-on-line in the fuel cell. This is explained by a previously reported "unzipping" mechanism that initiates with the radical decarboxylation of Nafion. This destroys the membrane chain-by-chain while leaving the rest of the membrane intact. In Chapter 3 infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations were used to study the effect of ion exchange on Nafion. It has previously been impossible to explain how variations in the exchange group environment cause concerted shifts of peaks in disparate parts of membrane IR spectra. This thesis advances a methodology for assigning IR peaks in terms of mechanically coupled internal coordinates of near neighbor functional groups and in terms of the local symmetry of the ionomer exchange site. Chapter 4 focuses on cationic simple ionomers. An exchange site model benzyltrimethyl ammonium (BTMA) is used for normal mode analysis by density functional theory. The DFT cal-culations were correlated with experimentally obtained transmission FTIR spectra of the hydrox-ide and chloride form of BTMA. In this chapter we computationally build up the solvation one molecule of water at a time. The remarkable result was that one could observe how first and sec-ond shell solvation water molecules build up the high frequency region of the IR spectra (in particular the region above 2500 cm−1). The scope for Chapter 5 is to provide an insight into future studies (now in progress in the group). A method is being developed that will help in assigning the fingerprint region of the ion-omer theoretical spectra with respect to breaking down normal mode analysis in terms of functional group contributions.

Complete learning resource to understand membrane technology for gas, ion, and water transportation and/or separation This book provides important information on membranes for energy production as well as the recent key advances that have been made in the field. It benefits the reader not only by providing insight into the application of membranes in the energy industry, but also by explaining the principles or theories behind this important application, including the transport of small molecules such as gas, ion, and water. Contributed by a world-renowned and long-standing expert in the field of membrane materials and processes, the book covers many important areas of interest, such as: The history of membrane science and technology Fundamentals of membrane technology, including principles of membrane formation and principle behind Gas separation using membrane technology Membranes for ion transport or separation realized in energy generation and storage The future direction and outlook of membrane technology in energy application and industry This book is a must-have resource for professionals in the field who wish to gain mastery over the topic of membranes and how they relate to energy application. Many different types of scientists and engineers will be able to derive immense value from its comprehensive yet concise approach.