# US 2022/0045346 A1 · Polyarylene ether-based polymer containing aliphatic chain, electrolyte membrane including the same, and membrane-electrode assembly including the electrolyte membrane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0045346 A1 - Document ID: US20220045346A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/097,658 - Filed: 2020-11-13 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-05 - Assignees: Korea Institute of Science and Technology - Applicants: Korea Institute of Science and Technology - Inventors: Hyoung-Juhn KIM; Jieun CHOI; So Young LEE; Hee-Young PARK; Sung Jong YOO; Hyun Seo PARK; Jing Young KIM; Jong Hyun JANG; Bora SEO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045346A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/1032: having sulfur, e.g. sulfonated-polyethersulfones [S-PES] - C08G 65/40: from phenols (I) and other compounds (II), e.g. OH-Ar-OH + X-Ar-X, where X is halogen atom, i.e. leaving group - H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) - H01M 8/1027: having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES] - H01M 8/1067: characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - H01M 2300/0082: Organic polymers - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell, represented by the following Chemical Formula 1. When the polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is applied to the manufacture of a membrane-electrode assembly through a decal process, the hot pressing temperature may be controlled to about 120° C. so as to conform to a low glass transition temperature. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problems of deterioration of an electrolyte membrane or incomplete transfer of an electrode catalyst layer, caused by the high hot pressing temperature applied in the case of the conventional hydrocarbon-based polymer material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell, represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: wherein X1 and X2 are the same or different from each other, and each independently represents a valence bond, oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; Y1 represents a sulfonyl group (—SO2—) or ester group (—CO—); R1 to R8 are the same or different from one another, and each independently represents a hydrogen atom, C1-C10 alkyl group or a sulfonic acid group (—SO3H); each of m1 and m2 represents the number of repeating units and is an integer of 1-3; q1 is the number of repeating units and is an integer of 2-30; and n represents the number of repeating units. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein X1 and X2 are the same or different from each other, and each independently represents a valence bond or oxygen atom; Y1 represents a sulfonyl group (—SO2—); R1 to R8 are the same or different from one another, and each independently represents a hydrogen atom, C1-C4 alkyl group or a sulfonic acid group (—SO3H); each of m1 and m2 is 1; q1 is the number of repeating units and is an integer of 3-20; and n represents the number of repeating units. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein each of X1 and X2 represents an oxygen atom; Y1 represents a sulfonyl group (—SO2—); R1 to R8 are the same or different from one another, and each independently represents a hydrogen atom, methyl group or a sulfonic acid group (—SO3H), with the proviso that three or more sulfonic acid groups (—SO3H) cannot be present; each of m1 and m2 is 1; q1 is the number of repeating units and is an integer of 4-10; and n represents the number of repeating units. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the polyarylene ether-based polymer represented by Chemical Formula 1 is represented by the following Chemical Formula 2: wherein each of x and (100−x) represents the ratio of repeating units based on the total number of repeating units taken as 100; and x represents an integer of 20-40. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the polyarylene ether-based polymer represented by Chemical Formula 1 has a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000-200,000 g/mol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the polyarylene ether-based polymer represented by Chemical Formula 1 has units in which at least one selected from R1 to R8 represents a sulfonic acid group at a ratio of 20-50% based on the total number (n) of units. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 1, which shows peaks at 1.35-1.57, 1.57-1.88 and 3.87-4.08 ppm due to an aliphatic chain as analyzed by 1H-NMR. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The polyarylene ether-based polymer for an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the polyarylene ether-based polymer represented by Chemical Formula 1 has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 70-130° C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, comprising the polyarylene ether-based polymer as defined in claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising the electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell as defined in claim 9. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 10, which comprises catalyst layers bound to the top and bottom of the electrolyte membrane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising the membrane-electrode assembly as defined in claim 10.