The Polymer Society of Korea

송인욱 (서울대학교)

권민상 (서울대학교)

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are key components in energy systems enabling efficient hydrogen production. Biphenyl-based AEMs provide high ion exchange capacity (IEC) but suffer from excessive swelling, limiting practical use. Fluorinated units such as trifluoroacetophenone (TFAP) suppress swelling, yet their lack of ion-exchange functionality lowers IEC. Monomers with ion-exchange groups, such as 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(4-piperidine)ethanone (TFPip), offer an alternative, but low reactivity limits incorporation.

 Here, an aromatic end-capped oligomer is used as a monomer to improve incorporation of low-reactivity units while enabling compositional control. Copolymerization increases swelling-suppressing structures while maintaining IEC. The resulting biphenyl-based membrane shows an IEC of 2.47 meq g⁻¹, controlled swelling (WU 109.5%, SR 27.8%), and ionic conductivity of 158 mS cm⁻¹ at 80 °C, demonstrating simultaneous swelling control and ion transport.