Hydration and Diffusion of H+, Li+, Na+, Cs+ Ions in Cation-Exchange Membranes Based on Polyethylene- and Sulfonated-Grafted Polystyrene Studied by NMR Technique and Ionic Conductivity Measurements

The main particularities of sulfonate groups hydration, water molecule and alkaline metal cation translation mobility as well as ionic conductivity were revealed by NMR and impedance spectroscopy techniques. Cation-exchange membranes MSC based on cross-linked sulfonated polystyrene (PS) grafted on polyethylene with ion-exchange capacity of 2.5 mg-eq/g were investigated. Alkaline metal cation hydration numbers (h) calculated from temperature dependences of 1H chemical shift of water molecule for membranes equilibrated with water vapor at RH = 95% are 5, 6, and 4 for Li+, Na+, and Cs+ ions, respectively. These values are close to h for equimolar aqueous salt solutions. Water molecules and counter ions Li+, Na+, and Cs+ diffusion coefficients were measured by pulsed field gradient NMR on the 1H, 7Li, 23Na, and 133Cs nuclei. For membranes as well as for aqueous chloride solutions, cation diffusion coefficients increased in the following sequence: Li+ < Na+ < Cs+. Cation and water molecule diffusion activation energies in temperature range from 20 °C to 80 °C were close to each other (about 20 kJ/mol). The cation conductivity of MSC membranes is in the same sequence, Li+ < Na+ < Cs+ << H+. The conductivity values calculated from the NMR diffusion coefficients with the use of the Nernst–Einstein equation are essentially higher than experimentally determined coefficients. The reason for this discrepancy is the heterogeneity of membrane pore and channel system. Ionic conductivity is limited by cation transfer in narrow channels, whereas the diffusion coefficient characterizes ion mobility in wide pores first of all.