Synthesis and characterization of bisulfonated poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide composite membranes with improved proton exchange capabilities

Composite membranes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) were prepared by solution-casting method to be used as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in fuel cell (FC) applications. Bisulfonation was employed as a strategy to enhance the proton conductivity of these membranes. First, a direct sulfonation of the polymer matrix was accomplished by intra-sulfonation of the polymer matrix with propane sultone, followed by the inter-sulfonation of the polymer chains using sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) as a crosslinking agent. Furthermore, the addition of graphene oxide (GO) as inorganic filler was also evaluated to enhance the protonconducting of the composite membranes. These membranes were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile tests. Besides, the proton conductivity of these membranes in a fully hydrated state was also analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The effect of the intra- and inter-sulfonation of the polymer matrix on the structural, morphological, thermal and mechanical properties of the membranes were determined. Increasing the density of sulfonic acid groups in the membranes resulted in a trade-off between a better proton conductivity (improving from 0.26 to 1.00 mS/cm) and a decreased thermal and mechanical stability. In contrast, the incorporation of GO nanoparticles into the polymer matrix improved the thermal and mechanical stability of both bisulfonated composite membranes. The proton conductivity appreciably increased by the combination of bisulfonation and introduction of GO nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. The sPVA/30SSA/GO composite membrane exhibited a proton conductivity of 1.95 mS/cm at 25 degrees C. The combination of the GO nanoparticles with the chemical bisulfonation approach of PVA allows thus assembling promising proton exchange membrane candidates for fuel cell applications.