Lee, So Young Kwon, Yeonhye Kim, Bo Hyun Chae, Jieon Jang, Jong Hyun Henkensmeier, Dirk Yoo, Sung Jong Kim, Jin Young Kim, Hyoung-Juhn 2024-01-20T06:34:07Z 2024-01-20T06:34:07Z 2021-09-05 2015-07 0167-2738 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/125272 Currently, most sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (s-PAES) polymers are synthesized using a solvent mixture consisting of toluene and dimethylacetamide (DMAc) by two successive reactions, namely azeotropic water removal, followed by nucleophilic substitution. In this study, a novel method for the synthesis of s-PAES polymers has been developed, where alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, or 2-propanol are used along with DMAc as the co-solvent in the place of toluene that is used in the conventional synthesis of s-PAES. Moreover, the synthesis method used in this study involves only one step, namely the polymerization at 160 degrees C and does not require the azeotropic water distillation step at 140 degrees C. The new synthesis method was found to yield s-PAES polymers with a higher molecular weight in a shorter reaction time compared to the conventional polymerization method. Further, membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) were fabricated using the synthesized s-PAES polymer membranes, in order to evaluate the performance of the membranes in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The results indicate that the s-PAES membranes synthesized using the method proposed in this study have a great potential for use as PEMFC membranes. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V. English Elsevier BV Synthesis of high molecular weight sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer without azeotropic reaction Article 10.1016/j.ssi.2015.03.001 1 Solid State Ionics, v.275, pp.92 - 96 Solid State Ionics 275 92 96 N scie scopus 000355372700020 2-s2.0-84939957538 Chemistry, Physical Physics, Condensed Matter Chemistry Physics Article PROTON-EXCHANGE MEMBRANES POTASSIUM CARBONATE FUEL-CELL MONOMER SYSTEMS Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s Dean Stark apparatus Azeotropic distillation Electrolyte membranes Proton exchange membrane fuel cells