Electric-field oriented polymer blend film for proton conduction.
A novel proton conductor has been realized by employing a ternary polymer blend system in combination with an electric-field orientation technique. A polymer film recast from a solution containing poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl butyral), and fluoroalkyl graft polymer under 2 kV.cm(-1) exhibited 10 times higher proton conductivity than that prepared without the external electric field. However, when the film was prepared under a field higher than 4 kV.cm(-1), proton conductivity decreased. The membranous character has been investigated by SEM and AFM observations. As a result, it has been proven that an electric-field treatment of 2 kV.cm(-1) forms the largest hydrophilic domains for proton conduction in the film. The alteration of the phase separation morphology induced by the electric field well explains the proton conductivity change.
Umeda
Minoru
M
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka 1603-1, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188, Japan. mumeda@vos.nagaokaut.ac.jp
Uchida
Isamu
I