In honor of the 100^th anniversary of Staudinger’s “Polymer Hypothesis”, we write this trend review to describe some key developments in the synthesis of cationic polymers. Cationic polymers provided early evidence in support of the Polymer Hypothesis and have been recognized for their tremendous potential in various sub-disciplines of chemistry and biology. This article is focused on a specific class of cationic polymers that conduct hydroxide anions, namely alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs). These polymers are essential components in anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) energy conversion devices that can operate with zero-emission fuels (H₂ and O₂) and do not require precious metals (e.g. platinum) as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction. One of the critical considerations for AAEMs is their long-term stability to alkaline media, and as such, a wide range of polymer backbones and appended cations have been evaluated as potential constructs for this purpose. Herein, an overview of the different classes of cations is presented, along with a description of the typical synthetic methods for the preparation of AAEMs. By organizing the review according to the synthetic strategies, we hope to inspire the design and preparation of new cationic materials that are suitable for AEMFCs.

在100的荣誉^日施陶丁格的“高分子假说”的周年纪念日，我们写这个趋势审查，以描述阳离子聚合物的合成一些重要的发展。阳离子聚合物提供了支持聚合物假说的早期证据，并因其在化学和生物学的各个子学科中的巨大潜力而​​得到公认。本文的重点是传导氢氧根阴离子的一类特定阳离子聚合物，即碱性阴离子交换膜（AAEM）。这些聚合物是阴离子交换膜燃料电池（AEMFC）能量转换设备中的基本组件，该设备可以与零排放燃料（H ₂和O ₂）一起运行，并且不需要贵金属（例如，铂）作为氧还原的电催化剂。AAEM的关键考虑因素之一是它们对碱性介质的长期稳定性，因此，已评估了各种聚合物主链和附加的阳离子作为实现此目的的潜在结构。在此，概述了不同种类的阳离子，并描述了用于制备AAEM的典型合成方法。通过根据合成策略组织审查，我们希望启发设计和制备适用于AEMFC的新型阳离子材料。