Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.

Abstract: Membrane-electrode assemblies are provided having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane that exhibits higher proton conductivity over a wide temperature range, and exhibits superior hot water resistance, chemical stability, toughness and mechanical strength. The membrane-electrode assemblies utilized for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells include an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode disposed on opposite sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane contains a polyarylene copolymer with a specific constitutional unit having a fluorine atom and nitrile group introduced in their principal chains.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, in which a sulfonic acid is an ion exchange group, and the heat resistance is superior, is provided. The membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells contains a polymer including a principal chain that forms polyphenylene structure, a branched chain having a sulfonic acid group, and a branched chain having a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group. It is preferred that a branched chain having a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group is a structure expressed by the general formula (D) below.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polymer electrolyte having a protonic acid group that is excellent in thermal stability and dimensional stability. The polymer electrolyte includes copolymers having a sulfonic acid group which has a structure represented by the following formula: wherein X is a divalent electron-withdrawing group; Y is an oxygen or a sulfur; Z and Q are each a direct bond, —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO2—, —[C(R?)2]g— (g: integer of from 1 to 8), etc.; R, R? and R1 to R16 are each a hydrogen, a fluorine, an alkyl, a fluorine-substituted alkyl, an aryl or a nitrile; m, n, p, q, r, s, t and u are each an integer of from 0 to 4 (with the proviso that p+q?1); and A is a group represented by Formula (5a) or (5b) below: wherein W is a divalent electron-withdrawing group; S is a protonic acid group; i is an integer of from 1 to 5; and j is an integer of from 1 to 7.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a proton conductive membrane having superior workability is provided. The membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a proton conductive membrane, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode being disposed on opposite sides of the proton conductive membrane, in which the proton conductive membrane includes a polyarylene having the constitutional unit (S) expressed by the general formula (2-2) described below and the constitutional unit (T) expressed by the general formula (2-3) described below; the ratio s of the unit (S) in the polyarylene is 50 to 95 mole %, and the ratio t of the unit (T) is 5 to 50 mole % in the polyarylene, where s+t=100 mole %.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, inexpensive, and exhibiting excellent power production capacity and durability even under high temperature/low humidity conditions, and also provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which incorporates the same electrode structure. The present invention also provides an electrical device and transportation device, each incorporating the same polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The electrode structure comprises a pair of electrode catalyst layers 1,1, each containing a catalyst supported by carbon particles, and polymer electrolyte membrane 2 placed between these electrode catalyst layers 1,1. The polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is of a sulfonated polyarylene composed of 0.5 to 100% by mol of the first repeating unit represented by the general formula (1) and 0 to 99.

Abstract: An electrode structure having a pair of electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane held between both the electrode catalyst layers is provided. The polymer electrolyte membrane is a sulfonate of a hydrocarbon-based polymer comprising a main chain in which two or more benzene rings are bound together directly or through a divalent group. The membrane includes 5% or more by weight of water coordinated to protons of sulfonic acid groups. The polymer electrolyte membrane may include a fluorine-containing ion conducting polymer such that the ratio of fluorine content in the polymer electrolyte membrane to the fluorine content in the electrode catalyst layers is in the range of from 0.2 to 2.0. The electrode structure constitutes a fuel cell, which generates power when oxidizing gas is supplied to the one side of the electrode structure and reducing gas to the other side.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a pair of electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane held between the electrode catalyst layers. The polymer electrolyte membrane is a sulfonation product of a polymer which comprises a main chain wherein two or more divalent aromatic residues are bound to one another directly or through oxy groups or divalent groups other than aromatic residues and side chains comprising aromatic groups to be sulfonated. The number of divalent aromatic residues comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by X, and the number of oxy groups comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by Y, and the value X/Y is within the range of from 2.0 to 9.0.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell that exhibits superior dimensional stability to high temperature of hot water generated on power generation, and that has both excellent power generation performance and durability in a low temperature environment is provided. According to the membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a polyarylene-based copolymer having a specific repeating constitutional unit is used as a proton conductive membrane, the membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell that exhibits superior dimensional stability to high temperature of hot water generated on power generation, and that has both excellent power generation performance and durability in a low temperature environment can be provided.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell having excellent hot water resistance, oxidation resistance and low temperature size stability and exhibiting excellent power generation performance even under low temperature environment.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a proton conductive membrane having superior workability is provided. The membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a proton conductive membrane, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode being disposed on opposite sides of the proton conductive membrane, in which the proton conductive membrane includes a polyarylene having the constitutional unit (S) expressed by the general formula (2-2) described below and the constitutional unit (T) expressed by the general formula (2-3) described below; the ratio s of the unit (S) in the polyarylene is 50 to 95 mole %, and the ratio t of the unit (T) is 5 to 50 mole % in the polyarylene, where s+t=100 mole %.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells is provided which has a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having a high concentration of protonic acid groups enabling high proton conductivity and high humid condition, along with superior dimensional stability, without the membrane-electrode assembly dissolving in hot water. The membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells was formed by using a polymer electrolyte composition consisting of a polymer having a cross-linking structure, this polymer electrolyte composition being obtained from a mixed solution that includes a polymer electrolyte containing a protonic acid group, a compound containing plurality of ethylenic unsaturated groups, and a solvent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which is inexpensive and has an excellent efficiency of generating electric power, by using a material alternative to a perfluoroalkylene sulfonic acid polymer. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a pair of electrodes (2, 3) consisting of an oxygen electrode (2) and a fuel electrode (3) both having a catalyst layer (5) containing a catalyst and an ion conducting material; and a polymer electrolyte membrane (1) sandwiched between the two catalyst layers (5) of the both electrodes (2, 3). The above ion conducting material contained in the above polymer electrolyte membrane (1) or in the catalyst (5) layer of at least one of the above electrodes (2, 3) comprises a sulfonated polyarylene having sulfonic acid side-chain groups.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode structure for a solid polymer fuel cell excellent in power generation performance and durability and a solid polymer fuel cell comprising the membrane-electrode structure are provided. In the membrane-electrode structure for a solid polymer fuel cell in which the polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes 1 containing a catalyst, the polymer electrolyte membrane 1 comprises a constituent unit (A) which has an ion conductive moiety consisting of a sulfonic acid group and is represented by the following general formula (I) and a constituent unit (B) consisting only of a non-ion conductive moiety which has a number average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 12,000 measured by gel permeation chromatography and is represented by the following general formula (II). The above-mentioned copolymer is a block copolymer in which the constituent unit (A) and the constituent unit (B) are covalently bonded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which has superior hot water resistance, superior mechanical properties, superior power generating performance, and higher proton conductivity, even when a large number of sulfonic acid groups are introduced. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane has constitutional units expressed by the general formulas (1) and (2).

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells exhibits higher proton conductivity and superior thermal resistance, in which the solid polymer electrolyte membrane has a nitrogen atom and a sulfonic acid group, and a principal chain of a constitutional unit is a phenylene bond, is provided. In particular, the membrane electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells preferably contains the sulfonated polyarylene expressed by the formula (1).

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, in which a sulfonic acid is an ion exchange group, and the heat resistance is superior, is provided. The membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells contains a polymer including a principal chain that forms polyphenylene structure, a branched chain having a sulfonic acid group, and a branched chain having a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group. It is preferred that a branched chain having a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group is a structure expressed by the general formula (D) below.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells is provided that exhibits higher proton conductivity and superior thermal resistance. A polyarylene having a sulfonic acid group and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound are included in a solid polymer electrolyte membrane that constitutes the membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Preferably, the polyarylene having sulfonic acid group contains a repeating unit expressed by the general formula (A) and a repeating unit expressed by the general formula (B) shown below.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly having superior hot water resistance has a membrane containing an aromatic polymer having a repeating unit expressed by general formula (1): in which A represents independently either —CO— or —SO2—; B represents independently an oxygen atom or sulfur atom; R1 to R8, which may be identical or different from each other, represent a hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, alkyl group, phenyl group or nitrile group; R9 to R24, which may be identical or different from each other, represent a hydrogen atom, alkyl group or phenyl group; and ‘a’ represents an integer of 0 to 4.

Abstract: Membrane-electrode assemblies are provided having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane that exhibits higher proton conductivity over a wide temperature range, and exhibits superior hot water resistance, chemical stability, toughness and mechanical strength. The membrane-electrode assemblies utilized for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells include an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode disposed on opposite sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane contains a polyarylene copolymer with a specific constitutional unit having a fluorine atom and nitrile group introduced in their principal chains.