Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices
The appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the design of a simple, safe, an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Membranes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/4/428 |
| _version_ | 1797604428438568960 |
|---|---|
| author | Matteo Di Virgilio Andrea Basso Peressut Angelo Pontoglio Saverio Latorrata Giovanni Dotelli |
| author_facet | Matteo Di Virgilio Andrea Basso Peressut Angelo Pontoglio Saverio Latorrata Giovanni Dotelli |
| author_sort | Matteo Di Virgilio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the design of a simple, safe, and reproducible procedure to prepare self-assembling GO/PBI composite membranes characterized by GO-to-PBI (X:Y) mass ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. SEM and XRD suggested a homogenous reciprocal dispersion of GO and PBI, which established an alternated stacked structure by mutual π-π interactions among the benzimidazole rings of PBI and the aromatic domains of GO. TGA indicated a remarkable thermal stability of the composites. From mechanical tests, improved tensile strengths but worsened maximum strains were observed with respect to pure PBI. The preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the GO/PBI X:Y composites as proton exchange membranes was executed via IEC determination and EIS. GO/PBI 2:1 (IEC: 0.42 meq g<sup>−1</sup>; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0464 S cm<sup>−1</sup>) and GO/PBI 3:1 (IEC: 0.80 meq g<sup>−1</sup>; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0451 S cm<sup>−1</sup>) provided equivalent or superior performances with respect to similar PBI-based state-of-the-art materials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:46:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa5c8ecdb9c74d91b0fdeb9becfb07e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:46:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa5c8ecdb9c74d91b0fdeb9becfb07e52023-11-17T20:23:28ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752023-04-0113442810.3390/membranes13040428Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical DevicesMatteo Di Virgilio0Andrea Basso Peressut1Angelo Pontoglio2Saverio Latorrata3Giovanni Dotelli4Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyThe appeal of combining polybenzimidazole (PBI) and graphene oxide (GO) for the manufacturing of membranes is increasingly growing, due to their versatility. Nevertheless, GO has always been used only as a filler in the PBI matrix. In such context, this work proposes the design of a simple, safe, and reproducible procedure to prepare self-assembling GO/PBI composite membranes characterized by GO-to-PBI (X:Y) mass ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. SEM and XRD suggested a homogenous reciprocal dispersion of GO and PBI, which established an alternated stacked structure by mutual π-π interactions among the benzimidazole rings of PBI and the aromatic domains of GO. TGA indicated a remarkable thermal stability of the composites. From mechanical tests, improved tensile strengths but worsened maximum strains were observed with respect to pure PBI. The preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the GO/PBI X:Y composites as proton exchange membranes was executed via IEC determination and EIS. GO/PBI 2:1 (IEC: 0.42 meq g<sup>−1</sup>; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0464 S cm<sup>−1</sup>) and GO/PBI 3:1 (IEC: 0.80 meq g<sup>−1</sup>; proton conductivity at 100 °C: 0.0451 S cm<sup>−1</sup>) provided equivalent or superior performances with respect to similar PBI-based state-of-the-art materials.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/4/428polybenzimidazolegraphene oxidecomposite membraneion exchange capacityproton conductivityself-assembling |
| spellingShingle | Matteo Di Virgilio Andrea Basso Peressut Angelo Pontoglio Saverio Latorrata Giovanni Dotelli Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices Membranes polybenzimidazole graphene oxide composite membrane ion exchange capacity proton conductivity self-assembling |
| title | Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices |
| title_full | Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices |
| title_fullStr | Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices |
| title_short | Study of Innovative GO/PBI Composites as Possible Proton Conducting Membranes for Electrochemical Devices |
| title_sort | study of innovative go pbi composites as possible proton conducting membranes for electrochemical devices |
| topic | polybenzimidazole graphene oxide composite membrane ion exchange capacity proton conductivity self-assembling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/4/428 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matteodivirgilio studyofinnovativegopbicompositesaspossibleprotonconductingmembranesforelectrochemicaldevices AT andreabassoperessut studyofinnovativegopbicompositesaspossibleprotonconductingmembranesforelectrochemicaldevices AT angelopontoglio studyofinnovativegopbicompositesaspossibleprotonconductingmembranesforelectrochemicaldevices AT saveriolatorrata studyofinnovativegopbicompositesaspossibleprotonconductingmembranesforelectrochemicaldevices AT giovannidotelli studyofinnovativegopbicompositesaspossibleprotonconductingmembranesforelectrochemicaldevices |