Composite of polysilamine and strong acid

• US 6,174,615 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pemeas GmbH (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: Aventis Research & Technologies GmbH & Co. KG (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company)
• Inventors: Ogata, Naoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nuzzolillo, Maria
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ruthkosky, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/301,845
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 429/33, 429/188, 429/189, 429/313, 428/436, 428/437, 428/447, 528/10, 528/12, 528/27, 528/38, 528/171, 528/423, 528/556
• US Class Current: 429/465
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/60 in which all the silicon atoms are connected by linkages other than oxygen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/62 Nitrogen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1037 having silicon, e.g. sulfonated crosslinked polydimethylsiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1048 Ion-conducting additives, e.g. ion-conducting particles, heteropolyacids, metal phosphate or polybenzimidazole with phosphoric acid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1072 by chemical reactions, e.g. insitu polymerisation or insitu crosslinking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A composite comprising a polysilamine having a repeating unit represented by the following formula

[—N(R¹)—A¹—Si(R²)(R³)—B—]

wherein

R¹, R² and R³ are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group;

A¹ is a lower alkylene group which may be substituted by a lower alkyl group, a group represented by the formula —A²—N(R⁴)—A³— or a group represented by the formula —A²—N(R⁴)—A³—N(R⁵)—A⁴—, wherein A², A³ and A⁴ are the same or different and each is a lower alkylene group which may be substituted by a lower alkyl group;

R⁴ and R⁵ are the same or different and each is a hydrogen atom or lower alkyl groups;

B is a lower alkylene group which may be substituted by a lower alkyl group; and

n is an integer of not less than 2, and a strong acid is disclosed. This composite has proton conductivity and is thus suitably used as an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell.

Claims

1. A composite comprising:

a polysilamine having a repeating unit represented by the following formula

2. The composite of claim 1 wherein said polysilamine is crosslinked by a crosslinking agent.

3. The composite of claim 1 comprising 0.05 to 2 mol of a strong acid per mol of amino group.

4. The composite of claim 1, having a proton conductivity, at 100°

C., of not less that 10<sup>−

6</sup> S/cm.

5. An electrolyte membrane formed of the composite of claim 1 in the shape of a membrane.

6. A fuel cell having a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell having an electrolyte membrane of claim 5 and a pair of electrodes holding said electrolyte membrane therebetween.