Influence of Differences in Bilateral Chain Structure on the Performance of Poly(aryl piperidine) Anion Exchange Membranes for Water Electrolysis

As the core component of water electrolysis, anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) necessitate high ionic conductivity, favorable dimensional stability, and chemical stability. Nevertheless, the current generation of AEMs remains inadequate for achieving both high ionic conductivity and long-term chemical stability. The side-chain strategy has been demonstrated to be an effective approach for enhancing the conductivity and durability of AEMs. In order to achieve this objective, a series of poly(aryl piperidine) AEMs were designed, featuring hydrophilic cationic side chains and noncationic alkyl chains, with the aim of investigating the impact of grafting different noncationic side chains on membrane properties. In particular, the PTBPA–BMB–OH membrane displayed favorable OH– ionic conductivity (108.3 mS cm–1 at 80 °C) and satisfactory water uptake and swelling rates of 82.3% and 24.9%, respectively. Moreover, an AEMWE based on PTBPA–BMB–OH membranes exhibited a current density of 467 mA cm–2 (1 M KOH solution, 2 V, and 60 °C). The results indicate that this side-chain structural strategy is an effective method to improve the ionic conductivity and dimensional stability of membranes and shows some potential for application in the field of AEMWE.