A New Sequence Isomer of AB-Polybenzimidazole for High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells

A new sequence isomer of AB-polybenzimidazole (AB-PBI) was developed as a candidate for high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. A diacid monomer, 2,2'-bisbenzimidazole-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid, was synthesized and polymerized with 3,3',4,4'-tetraaminobiphenyl to prepare a polymer that was composed of repeating 2,5-benzimidazole units. In contrast to previously prepared AB-PBI, which contains only head-to-tail benzimidazole sequences, the new polymer also contains head-to-head and tail-to-tail benzimidazole sequences. The polymer was prepared in polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and cast into membranes using the sol-gel PPA process. Membranes formed from the new AB-PBI were found to be mechanically stronger, possessed higher acid doping levels, and showed improved fuel cell performance, when compared to the previously known AB-PBI. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 50: 306-313, 2012