Abstract
In polymer membrane fuel cells (PEFC) Nafion® is frequently used as electrolyte membrane. Nafion® is an ion exchange polymer based on a PTFE backbone with added sulfonic acid groups. Before using in PEFC the Nafion® membrane is cleaned by a chemical pretreatment. The influence of this chemical pretreatment of Nafion® membranes was investigated with XPS measurements as well as the influence of electrochemical stressing. The Nafion® membrane will be decomposed during XPS measurements. X-ray exposure as well as ion etching induces a degradation of Nafion®. The change is related to a disintegration of the basis polymer PTFE as well as the sulfonic acid groups containing side chains. The decomposition of the side chains is faster than that of the PTFE backbone.
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Received: 6 September 1998 / Revised: 1 April 1999 / Accepted: 15 April 1999
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Schulze, M., Lorenz, M., Wagner, N. et al. XPS analysis of the degradation of Nafion. Fresenius J Anal Chem 365, 106–113 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002160051454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002160051454