In order to systematically study how the arrangement of cations on the side chain and length of alkyl spacers between cations impact the performance of multi-cation AEMs for alkaline fuel cells, a series of polyphenylene oxide (PPO)-based AEMs with different cationic side chains were synthesized. This work resulted in samples with two or three cations in a side chain pendant to the PPO backbone. More importantly, the length of the spacer between cations varied from 3 methylene (-CH₂-) (C3) groups to 8 methylene (C8) groups. The highest conductivity, up to 99 mS/cm in liquid water at room temperature, was observed for the triple-cation side chain AEM with pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) spacers. The multi-cation AEMs were found to have decreased water uptake and ionic conductivity when the spacer chains between cations were lengthened from pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) to octyl (C8) linking groups. The triple-cation membranes with pentyl (C5) or hexyl (C6) groups between cations showed greatest stability after immersion in 1 M NaOH at 80 °C for 500 h.

为了系统地研究侧链上的阳离子排列和阳离子之间的烷基间隔基长度如何影响用于碱性燃料电池的多阳离子AEM的性能，一系列具有不同阳离子侧链的基于聚苯氧（PPO）的AEM被合成。这项工作导致样品在PPO主链的侧链侧链中带有两个或三个阳离子。更重要的是，阳离子之间的间隔基长度从3亚甲基（-CH ₂-）（C3）基团到8个亚甲基（C8）基团。对于带有戊基（C5）或己基（C6）间隔基的三阳离子侧链AEM，在室温下在液态水中观察到最高电导率，高达99 mS / cm。当阳离子之间的间隔链从戊基（C5）或己基（C6）延长至辛基（C8）连接基团时，发现多阳离子AEM的吸水率和离子电导率降低。在阳离子之间具有戊基（C5）或己基（C6）的三重阳离子膜在80°C的1 M NaOH中浸泡500 h后显示出最大的稳定性。