Sulfonated nanocomposite membranes

Abstract

Proton conductive polymer membranes are widely studied because of their potential use in electrochemical and energy-related applications. Among them, organic–inorganic membranes attract particular interest, as their structure and transport properties can be effectively adjusted by combining polymer matrices with inorganic components.
Optimal membrane compositions were selected based on kinetic analysis using the Alfrey–Price equation. Polymer matrices were prepared by UV-initiated free-radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, and sulfonated monomers (SSNa or SPAK), while the inorganic component was introduced simultaneously via in situ sol–gel formation from TEOS and MAPTMS. This integrated synthetic approach resulted in a uniformly distributed, self-crosslinked silica network embedded within the polymer matrix, ensuring effective coupling of the organic and inorganic phases.