Phosphate anion-quaternary ammonium ion pair coordinated polymer membranes

A method of making an ion exchange membrane material, comprising:

• providing one or more polymers, the one or more polymers including a plurality of repeating units, wherein the repeating units include:
• a backbone including one or more aryl groups;
• a halocarbon group attached to the backbone;
• and
• a halocarbon side chain attached to the backbone, wherein the halocarbon side chain includes a halide separated from the backbone by hydrocarbon chain, a hydrocarbon ring, or combinations thereof;
• substituting the halide with a tertiary amine to form an amine-substituted polymer and halide anions;
• exchanging halide anions with hydroxide anions;
• and
• contacting the amine-substituted polymer and hydroxide anions with phosphoric acid to provide an ionic dopant to the amine-substituted polymer and form quaternary ammonium groups;
• and wherein the ionic dopant includes dihydrogen phosphate anions and phosphoric acid molecules, and wherein the phosphoric acid molecules form a cluster surrounding the quaternary ammonium groups, wherein A includes trimethylamine, 1-methylpiperidine, pyridine, 1,2-dimethylimidazole, quinuclidine, pentamethylquanidine, or combinations thereof.

An electrochemical energy conversion system comprising:

• an anode;
• a cathode;
• and
• an ion exchange membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode,
• wherein the ion-exchange membrane includes a polymer comprising a repeating unit in accordance to Formula I:
• wherein Ar includes one or more aryl groups, R1 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, a hydrocarbon ring, or a combination thereof,
• A is a quaternary ammonium group,
• D is an ionic dopant, and R2 is a halocarbon group;
• and
• wherein the ionic dopant includes dihydrogen phosphate anions and phosphoric acid molecules, and wherein the phosphoric acid molecules form a cluster surrounding the quaternary ammonium group, wherein A includes trimethylamine, 1-methylpiperidine, pyridine, 1,2-dimethylimidazole, quinuclidine, pentamethylguanidine, or combinations thereof.