Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Toyota Technical Center, U.s.a., Inc.

Toyota Motor Corporation

Siwen Li

Meilin Liu

Wen Li

Zhen Zhou

Qunhui Sun

Kohei Hase

Kohai Hase

Junzo Ukai

Yuelan Zhang

Masatsugu Nakanishi

A proton exchange membrane comprises a hybrid inorganic-organic polymer that includes implanted metal cations. Acid groups are bound to the hybrid inorganic-organic polymer through an interaction with the implanted metal cations. An example process for manufacturing a proton exchange membrane includes sol-gel polymerization of silane precursors in a medium containing the metal cations, followed by exposure of the metal-implanted hybrid inorganic-organic polymer to an acid compound.

Proton exchange membranes (PEM) based on hybrid inorganic-organic copolymers with grafted phosphoric acid groups and implanted metal cations

A proton conducting polymer includes a polymer backbone and a heterocyclic compound attached to the polymer backbone. The heterocyclic compound includes a sulfonyl functionality bonded to heterocyclic compound.

Sulfonyl grafted heterocycle materials for proton conducting electrolytes

A composition of matter is formed from a graftable polymer, having graftable sites onto which sidechains have been grafted. The sidechains include at least one silane group, and may be formed by polymerization of a polymerizable group of a silane precursor. These compositions may further include acid groups, and may be used, for example, in improved proton conducting materials in fuel cells. 

Hybrid inorganic-organic polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) based on alkyloxysilane grafted thermoplastic polymers

A composition of matter comprises a polymer network, including silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, a first organic side-chain attached to at least some silicon atoms within the polymer network comprising a flexible linking group and a terminal group, the terminal group including at least one atom providing a lone pair of electrons. The composition of matter can be used to form a proton-conducting membrane. In illustrative examples, the polymer network can be an organic-inorganic hybrid network and the terminal group can includes a nitrogen-containing heterocycle. 

Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) based on imidazole ring terminated flexible branches grafted on hybrid inorganic-organic polymers

Polymers, polymer precursors, and other materials are described, having at least one heterocycle and being useful for fabrication of proton-exchange membranes (PEMs). In representative examples, the heterocycle is a fluorinated imidazole ring. The heterocycle can be chosen to have a low value of pKa, and may be a triazole ring, other nitrogen-containing heterocycle, or derivative thereof. Polymers and composites were prepared having excellent proton conductivity. Applications of these materials include fuel cells and other ion-conducting applications.

Heterocycle grafted monomers and related polymers and hybrid inorganic-organic polymer membranes

A proton conducting polymer is formed by the copolymerization of a plurality of compounds, including a silicon compound comprising an organic chain, and a compound including at least one acid group. The polymer comprises a hybrid organic-inorganic matrix having acid groups linked through a linking group. The linking group may include one or more electron withdrawing groups. The electron withdrawing group may be a halogen.

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Siwen Li