• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.289-297
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• 2012

Since Nafion is very expensive and shows the decreased fuel cell performance over $80^{\circ}C$ operating temperature, much work has been carried out in the search for cheaper membrane with high fuel cell performance. Radiation is known to be very useful for the preparation of the polymer electrolyte membranes since it can be effectively used for the introduction of ion conducting functional groups into the commercial film with high mechanical and chemical properties. Here, we summarize the our recent progress in the development of fuel cell membranes by utilizing radiation.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.61-67
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• 2018

As emerging the new electric devices, the commercial lithium ion batteries have faced with various challenges. In this regard, many efforts to solve challenges have been tried. In order to solve the above problems in terms of development of a new secondary battery, we successfully demonstrated the two electrocatalysts, such as MCWB and PPY hydrogel, PPY hydrogel and MCWB showed typical H3-type BET isotherm, indicating that micro- and mesopores existed. Especially, in terms of voltage efficiency at the first cycle, PPY hydrogel was higher than that of MCWB, but lower than that of PtC. More interestingly, the PPY hygrogel based seawater battery exhibited charge-discharge reversibility during 20 cycles, and the voltage efficiencies ranged from 70.32 % to 77.35 % in cyclic performance test.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.222-229
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• 2012

We studied the electrochemical phenomena and increase of capacity according to the polymer composite electrode of two different polymeric materials with different the voltage range and capacity. Polyaniline (PANI) with relatively high voltage and small capacity and poly [1,2] bis-thio[1,8]-naphthylidine (PTND) with slightly low voltage and large capacity were used as polymer composite electrode materials. After PTND was synthesized, PANI was synthesized on the surface of PTND. The synthesis and the fine structure were analyzed by FT-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, and FE-TEM. Charge/discharge capacity and cyclic voltammetry measurements were carried out for the electrochemical performance as a polymer cathode active material for lithium secondary batteries. The discharge capacities of PANI/PTND after 1,5, and 10 cycles at 1.3~4.0 V voltage range and room temperature 167 mAh/g, 90 mAh/g, and 81 mAh/g. When we compared with PANI (80, 67, and 62 mAh/g), the discharge capacity after 10 cycles was improved about 30%. After 50 cycles, the discharge capacity of PANI/PTND was 67 mAh/g.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.234-240
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• 2008

This work demonstrates the preparation of proton conducting crosslinked polymer electrolyte membranes by blending polystrene-b-poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PS-b-PHEA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) at 1 : 1 wt ratio. The PHEA block of the diblock copolymer was crosslinked with PVA using sulfosuccinic acid (SA) via the esterification reaction between -OH of membrane and -COOH of SA, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) continuously increased from 0.14 to 0.91 meq/g with increasing concentrations of SA, due to the increasing portion of charged groups in the membrane. In contrast, the water uptake increased up to 20.0 wt% of SA concentration above which it decreased monotonically. The membrane also exhibited a maximum proton conductivity of 0.024 S/cm at 20.0 wt% of SA concentration. The maximum behavior of water uptake and proton conductivity is considered to be due to competitive effect between the increase of ionic sites and the crosslinking reaction according to the SA concentration.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 1999

The electrochemical properties of PAN-PVDF-PEGME blend polymer electrolyte system are investigated and the physical properties are also measured with varying the content of PEGME. This PEGME partially reduces the crystallinity of PVDF. The ionic conductivities of the polymer electrolytes are about $10^{-3}S/cm$, which may be applicable to a constituent of lithium secondary battery. From the temperature dependence of ionic conductivity, it is suggested that the ionic conductivity increases with the PEGME content due to the fomation of effective ion-conducting path. The cation transference number reaches its maximum value for the electrolytes (SPE 2) with 10 wt% PEGME and then decreases for further increase of PEGME contnet. The electrochemically stable range of SPE 1 (without PEGME) is about 4.3 V, but SPE 2-4 (PAN-PVDF-PEGME system) is about 4.6 V. When these polymer electrolyte are used as electrolyte in rechargeable battery and the cell performances are tested, the discharge capacity increses with the amount of PEGME. Therefore, PEGME increases the ionic conductivity, extends the electrochemical stable range, and finally improves the discharge capacity of cell adopting the electrolyte system.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2006

Porous polymer gel electrolytes (PGEs) based on poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-co-HFP)) as a polymer matrix and polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) as a pore-forming agent were prepared and electrochemical properties were investigated for an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) in order to increase a permeability of an electrolyte into the PGE. Propylene carbonate (PC) and ethylene carbonate (EC) as plasticizers, and tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate ($TEABF_4$) as a supporting salt for the PGE were used. EDLC unit cells were assembled with the PGE and electrode comprising BP-20 and MSP-20 as activated carbon powders, Super P as a conducting agent, and P(VdF-co-HFP)/PVP as a mixed binder. Ion conductivity of PGEs increased with an increased PVP content and was the best at 7 wt% PVP, whereas electrochemical characteristics such as AC-ESR of unit cell were better in 3 wt%. And electrochemical characteristics of the unit cell with PGE were the best at a 33 : 33 weight ratio of PC to EC. Specific capacitance of a mixed plasticizer system of PE and EC was higher than that of pure PC. Ion conductivity of PGEs with a film thickness of $20{\mu}m$ was higher, but electrochemical characteristics of unit cells were higher for a $50{\mu}m$ membrane thickness. Also, the unit cell has shown the highest capacitance of 31.41 F/g and more stable electrochemical performance when PGE and electrode were hot pressed. Consequently, the optimum composition ratio of PGE for EDLCs was 23 : 66 : 11 wt% such as P(VdF-co-HFP) : PVP = 20 : 3 wt% and PC : EC = 44 : 22 wt%. In this case, $3.17{\times}10^{-3}S/cm$ of ion conductivity was achieved at the $50{\mu}m$ thickness of PGE for EDLCs. And the electrochemical characteristics of unit cells were $2.69{\Omega}$ of DC-ESR, 28 F/g of specific capacitance, and 100% of coulombic efficiency.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.3109-3114
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• 2010

Flexible composite films of $V_2O_5$ and conductive polypyrrole ($V_2O_5$/PPy) were grown by facile electrochemical polymerization, wherein an anodization potential was applied to the substrate electrode in an electrolyte solution containing pyrrole monomer and dispersed $V_2O_5$ particles. The coating of polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of $V_2O_5$ particles was induced by the oxidative catalytic action of $V_2O_5$ during the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole. PPy in the composite film connects the isolated $V_2O_5$ particles. This results in the formation of conductive networks in the composite film cathode, thereby enhancing the Li+ ion diffusion to the surface of the isolated $V_2O_5$ particles and thus increasing the accessibility of the $Li^+$ ions. The specific capacity tests of the Li rechargeable batteries revealed that the discharge capacity of this composite film cathode was higher, i.e., $497\;mAhg^{-1}$, than that of $V_2O_5$/PPy powder or pristine $V_2O_5$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1153-1159
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• 2013

A novel solid-contact indium(III)-selective sensor based on bis-(1H-benzimidazole-5-methoxy-2-[(4-methoxy-3, 5-dimethyl-1-pyridinyl) 2-methyl]) thiosulfinate, known as an omeprazole dimer (OD) and a neutral ionophore, was constructed, and its performance characteristics were evaluated. The sensor was prepared by applying a membrane cocktail containing the ionophore to a graphite rod pre-coated with polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT) conducting polymer as the ion-to-electron transducer. The membrane contained 3.6% OD, 2.3% oleic acid (OA) and 62% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the solvent mediator in PVC and produced a good potentiometric response to indium(III) ions with a Nernstian slope of 19.09 mV/decade. The constructed sensor possessed a linear concentration range from $3{\times}10^{-7}$ to $1{\times}10^{-2}$ M and a lower detection limit (LDL) of $1{\times}10^{-7}$ M indium(III) over a pH range of 4.0-7.0. It also displayed a fast response time and good selectivity for indium(III) over several other ions. The sensor can be used for longer than three months without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor was utilized for direct and flow injection potentiometric (FIP) determination of indium(III) in alloys. The parameters that control the flow injection method were optimized. Indium(III) was quantitatively recovered, and the results agreed with those obtained using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, as confirmed by the f and t values. The sensor was also utilized as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of fluoride in the presence of chloride, bromide, iodide and thiocyanate ions using indium(III) nitrate as the titrant.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2012

Based on our experience in developing resistive humidity sensor, interdigital gold electrodes with different fingers and gaps have been fabricated on a glass epoxy (GE) substrate using screen printing techniques. The basic structure of the electrode consisted of a 3-, 4- and 5-fingers with gaps of 310 and 460 ${\mu}m$. Gold electrode/GE was prepared by first printing silver nanopaste, followed by consecutive electroless plating of Cu, Ni and then Au. Copolymer of [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (MDBAC) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was used as a humidity-sensing polyelectrolyte, which was fabricated by a screen printing method on the Au electrode/GE substrate. The flexible humidity sensor showed acceptable linearity between logarithmic impedance and relative humidity in the range of 20-95%RH, low hysteresis of 1.5%RH, good response and recovery time of 75 sec at 1 V, 1 kHz, and $25^{\circ}C$. Electrode construction had a significant influence on the humidity-sensing characteristics of polymeric humidity sensors. The activation energy between electrode and ion conducting polyelectrolyte plays an important role in explaining the differences of humidity sensing characteristics such as temperature dependence, sensitivity, linearity and hysteresis.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.525-530
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• 2012

In this study, silane-crosslinked organic/inorganic composite membranes were prepared by simultaneous irradiation grafting of binary monomer mixtures (styrene and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM)) with various compositions onto a poly(ethylene-alt-tetraethylene) (ETFE) film and followed by sol-gel processing and sulfonation to provide a silane-crosslinked structure and a proton conducting ability, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were utilized to confirm the crosslinking of ETFE-g-PS/PTMSPM films. The prepared membranes with similar ion exchange capacity but a different TMSPM content were selected and their membrane properties were compared. The ETFE-g-PSSA/PTMSPM membranes were characterized by water uptake, dimensional stability, and proton conductivity after sulfonation. The membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) of the prepared membranes were fabricated and their single cell performances were measured.