Journal Article

FZJ-2021-02216

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Three-Component Domains in the Fully Hydrated Nafion Membrane Characterized by Partial Scattering Function Analysis

Zhao, Y. (Corresponding author) ; Yoshimura, K. ; Motegi, T. ; Hiroki, A. ; Radulescu, A.FZJ* ; Maekawa, Y. (Corresponding author)

2021
Soc. Washington, DC

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/27867  doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00587

Abstract: A fully hydrated Nafion membrane is generally treated as a three-component system comprising the tetrafluoroethylene-like main chain, the fluorinated side chain ending with a sulfonic acid group, and absorbed water. We applied the contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering technique to decompose scattering intensity profiles to partial scattering functions (PSFs) of each component in Nafion quantitatively. In the large scale (>30 nm), structural heterogeneities were observed in the main- and side-chain domains but not in water domains. In the middle scale (5–30 nm), a bicontinuous-like structure of crystalline and amorphous phases with a mean separation distance of 11 nm was observed, as a result of the main-chain semicrystalline templating effect. In the small scale (<5 nm), another bicontinuous-like structure exists in the amorphous phase with a mean separation distance of about 4 nm, indicating a well-connected water network responsible for the good membrane conductivity. Cross-term analysis of PSFs for two components suggested the location of each component that the main-chain domains tends to phase-separate from either the side-chain or water domains, but the side-chain and water domains are closely attached through sulfonic acid groups.

Keyword(s): Polymers, Soft Nano Particles and Proteins (1st) ; Soft Condensed Matter (2nd)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. JCNS-FRM-II (JCNS-FRM-II)
2. Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ)
3. Neutronenstreuung (JCNS-1)

Research Program(s):

1. 6G4 - Jülich Centre for Neutron Research (JCNS) (FZJ) (POF4-6G4) (POF4-6G4)

Experiment(s):

1. KWS-2: Small angle scattering diffractometer (NL3ao)

Appears in the scientific report 2021

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Database coverage:
; ; Chemical Reactions ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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