1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments relate to sulfonated poly(arylene sulfone), a cross-linked material thereof, a clay nanocomposite including the same, and a fuel cell including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fuel cells may be classified according to the kind of electrolyte used. For example, fuel cells may be classified as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate electrolyte fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells.
A PEMFC includes an anode, a cathode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween. The anode includes a catalyst layer that promotes oxidation of a fuel, and the cathode includes a catalyst layer that promotes reduction of an oxidizer.
The polymer electrolyte membrane of the PEMFC functions not only as an ion conductor for the movement of protons from the anode towards the cathode, but also as a separation layer preventing mechanical contact between the anode and the cathode. Thus, it is desirable for the polymer electrolyte membrane to have excellent ion conductance, electrochemical stability, high mechanical strength, high heat resistance, and film formation properties.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-245818, an example of a material used to form a polymer electrolyte membrane is sulfonated polysulfone. However, the mechanical strength of this material is typically less than desired for functioning as a polymer electrolyte membrane.