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Title: Molecular Design of Solid Polymer Electrolytes: Batteries not Included

Abstract: Full scale commercialization of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) technology is imminent, yet fundamental knowledge in specialized areas is still required in order to resolve persistent technical barriers surrounding materials costs, reliability, versatility, and performance. Today’s PEFC technology relies on a proton conducting polymer to shuttle protons and water between electrodes; specifically, perfluorosulfonated polymers. In order to improve the performance of these and other proton conducting polymers, and to design application-specific materials, it is necessary to develop a fuller understanding of the physical and chemical attributes of solid polymer electrolytes. However, the synthesis of perfluorosulfonated polymers requires difficult chemistry that hampers development of these materials. The synthesis of hydrocarbon polymeric materials, on the other hand, is readily accessible, which that allows for rapid material development. In the corollary case of hydroxide-conducting polymers for alkaline PEFCS, the search continues for a stable and versatile polymeric hydroxide-conducting medium.

In this presentation, a molecular design approach to chemically-stable, fluorine-free proton conducting polymers will be presented - an approach that has been two decades in the making.