X-ray Contrast Variation in Anion Exchange Membranes

Synopsis

Platinum-free hydroxide-exchange fuel cells have the potential to bring hydrogen power into the commercial mainstream. To guide their development, a more detailed understanding of the morphology of anion-exchange membranes (AEM) is sought. Although small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a proven technique for determining characteristic length scales within polymer membranes, SAXS measurements of some recently developed AEMs were unable to identify water-rich regions within hydrated membranes, which are thought to be necessary for ion conduction. In this seminar, I will describe several different types of X-ray experiments that I have done to improve the contrast and some of the results of these experiments.