Development of a new highly conductive and thermomechanically stable complex membrane based on sulfonated polyimide/ionic liquid for high temperature anhydrous fuel cells

[Display omitted] ▶ Acid doped sPI/IL membrane exhibits very high proton conductivity (5.59 × 10 −2 S cm −1). ▶ Ionic interaction between sPI and IL provides excellent thermomechanical properties. ▶ Ionic interaction results in a positive role in long term conductivity stability. The paper deals with the synthesis and characterization of a new type of acid doped highly conductive complex membrane based on sulfonated polyimide (sPI) and ionic liquid (IL) for high temperature anhydrous fuel cells. For this purpose, 2,4-diaminobenzene sulfonic acid (2,4-DABSA) is reacted with benzophenontetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) to yield sulfonated poly(amic acid) (sPAA) intermediate. Subsequently, IL is added into sPAA to form an interaction between sulfonic acid and imidazolium group of IL followed by acid doping. The ionic conductivity of acid doped sPI/IL complex polymer membrane is higher than that of IL containing composite membranes reported in the literature (5.59 × 10 −2 S cm −1 at 180 °C). Furthermore, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results of acid doped sPI/IL complex membrane show that the mechanical strength of the complex product is slightly changed until 350 °C due to the formation of ionic interactions between sulfonic acid groups of sPI and imidazolium groups of IL. Consequently, the ionic interaction not only provides high ionic conductivity with excellent thermomechanical properties (the storage module of 0.91 GPa at 300 °C) but also results in a positive effect in long term conductivity stability by blocking IL migration through the membrane.