Investigating the impact of functionalized graphene oxide on the properties and performance of Poly(2,6-Dimethyl-1,4-Phenylene Oxide)-based anion exchange membranes for fuel cells

Abstract

For the first time, we report on the functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) with 4,4′-methylenedianiline (MDA) and its subsequent quaternization with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC) to produce quaternized GO (QGO). The synthesized QGO is used as a filler in quaternized poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (QPPO) matrix to fabricate an anion exchange membrane for a fuel cell. The QPPO-QGO-0.5% membrane exhibits the highest ion exchange capacity (IEC) and hydroxide ion conductivity (HIC) of 3.10 meq/g and 139 mS/cm, respectively. Additionally, it maintains the 93 % of alkaline stability after 1000 hrs, which is higher than that of pure QPPO and other QGO-mixed QPPO membranes. Furthermore, single H2/O2 fuel cell is fabricated using the QPPO-QGO-0.5 % composite membrane, which exhibits the maximum peak power density (MPPD) of 372 mW/cm2 at 0.54 V and a current density of 688 mA/cm2 which is also higher than the pure QPPO of 311 mW/cm2. These results indicate an enhanced performance of fabricated composite membranes as an anion exchange membrane (AEM) for fuel cells, demonstrating their potential for future applications. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd