• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2009

The e1ectrocatalytic properties of heteropolyacids(HPAs) entrapped in covalently cross-linked sulfonated polyetheretherketone(CL-SPEEK/HPA) membranes have been studied for water electrolysis. The HPAs, including tungstophosphoric acid(TPA), molybdophosphoric acid(MoPA), and tungstosilicic acid(TSiA) were used as additives in the composite membranes. The MEA was prepared by a non-equilibrium impregnation-reduction(I-R) method, using reducing agent, sodium borohydride(NaBH4) and tetraamineplatinum(II) chloride(pt(NH$_3$)$_4$Cl$_2$). The electrocatalytic properties of composite membranes such as the cell voltage were in the order of magnitude CL-SPEEKlMoPA40 (wt%) > /TPA30 > /TSiA40. In the optimum cell applications for water electrolysis, the cell voltage of PtlPEM/Pt-Ru MEA with CL-SPEEKlTPA30 membrane was 1.75 V at 80$^{\circ}$C and I A/cm$^2$ and this voltage carried lower than that of 1.81 V of Nafion 117. Consequently, in regards of electrochemical and mechanical characteristics and oxidation durability, the newly developed CL-SPEEKITPA30 composite membrane exhibited a better performance than the others, but CLSPEEKlMoPA40 showed the best electrocatalytic activity (1.71 Vat 80$^{\circ}$C and 1 A/cm$^2$) among the composite membranes.