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Encapsulation of Imidazole into Ce-Modified Mesoporous KIT-6 for High Anhydrous Proton Conductivity.
- Source :
- Molecules; Jul2024, Vol. 29 Issue 13, p3239, 21p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Imidazole molecules entrapped in porous materials can exhibit high and stable proton conductivity suitable for elevated temperature (>373 K) fuel cell applications. In this study, new anhydrous proton conductors based on imidazole and mesoporous KIT-6 were prepared. To explore the impact of the acidic nature of the porous matrix on proton conduction, a series of KIT-6 materials with varying Si/Al ratios and pure silica materials were synthesized. These materials were additionally modified with cerium atoms to enhance their Brønsted acidity. TPD-NH<subscript>3</subscript> and esterification model reaction confirmed that incorporating aluminum into the silica framework and subsequent modification with cerium atoms generated additional acidic sites. UV-Vis and XPS identified the presence of Ce<superscript>3+</superscript> and Ce<superscript>4+</superscript> in the KIT-6 materials, indicating that high-temperature treatment after cerium introduction may lead to partial cerium incorporation into the framework. EIS studies demonstrated that dispersing imidazole within the KIT-6 matrices resulted in composites showing high proton conductivity over a wide temperature range (300–393 K). The presence of weak acidic centers, particularly Brønsted sites, was found to be beneficial for achieving high conductivity. Cerium-modified composites exhibited conductivity surpassing that of molten imidazole, with the highest conductivity (1.13 × 10<superscript>−3</superscript> S/cm at 393 K) recorded under anhydrous conditions for Ce-KIT-6. Furthermore, all tested composites maintained high stability over multiple heating and cooling cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14203049
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 13
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Molecules
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 178413681
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29133239