A new strategy for designing anion exchange membranes was reported by Michael Hickner, the Walker Faculty Fellow in Penn State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering; and Gregory N. Tew, in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachussetts, Amherst; in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and highlighted in C&E News.
Polymer-tethered complexed metal cations that coordinate two mobile anions per metal site were used to form mechanically and chemically stable anion exchange membranes. Employing multiple mobile anions per metal center has the potential to boost the ion content and conductivity of these materials. This strategy of multivalent metal complexes as ion conductors opens new avenues for low-cost fuel cells and new functionality in water treatment membranes. The groups are currently investigating the ion-conduction mechanisms in these materials and performing detailed stability assessments in comparison to more traditional quaternary ammonium-functionalized anion exchange membranes.
For more information, contact Hickner at mah49@psu.edu or Tew at tew@mail.pse.umass.edu.