Nafion


Nafion is a brand name for a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer discovered in the late 1960s by Walther Grot of DuPont. Nafion is a brand of the Chemours company. It is the first of a class of synthetic polymers with ionic properties that are called ionomers. Nafion's unique ionic properties are a result of incorporating perfluorovinyl ether groups terminated with sulfonate groups onto a tetrafluoroethylene backbone. Nafion has received a considerable amount of attention as a proton conductor for proton exchange membrane fuel cells because of its excellent thermal and mechanical stability.
The chemical basis of Nafion's superior conductive properties remain a focus of research. Protons on the SO3H groups "hop" from one acid site to another. Pores allow movement of cations but the membranes do not conduct anions or electrons. Nafion can be manufactured with various cationic conductivities.

Nomenclature and molecular weight

Nafion can be produced as both a powder resin and a copolymer. It has various chemical configurations and thus several chemical names in the IUPAC system. Nafion-H, for example, includes the following systematic names:
The molecular weight of Nafion is uncertain due to differences in processing and solution morphology. The structure of a Nafion unit, shown at the top of the page, illustrates the variability of the material; for example, the most basic monomer contains chain variation between the ether groups. Conventional methods of determining molecular weight such as light scattering and gel permeation chromatography are not applicable because Nafion is insoluble, although the molecular weight has been estimated at 105–106 Da. Instead, the equivalent weight and material thickness are used to describe most commercially available membranes. The EW is the number of grams of dry Nafion per mole of sulfonic acid groups when the material is in the acid form. For example, Nafion 117 indicates a material with 1100 g EW and 0.007 inches in thickness. In contrast to equivalent weight, conventional ion-exchange resins are usually described in terms of their ion exchange capacity, which is the multiplicative inverse or reciprocal of the equivalent weight, i.e., IEC = 1000/EW.

Preparation

Nafion derivatives are first synthesized by the copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and a derivative of a perfluoro with sulfonyl acid fluoride. The latter reagent can be prepared by the pyrolysis of its respective oxide or carboxylic acid to give the olefinated structure.
The resulting product is an -SO2F-containing thermoplastic that is extruded into films. Hot aqueous NaOH converts these sulfonyl fluoride groups into sulfonate groups. This form of Nafion, referred to as the neutral or salt form, is finally converted to the acid form containing the sulfonic acid groups. Nafion can be cast into thin films by heating in aqueous alcohol at 250 °C in an autoclave. By this process, Nafion can be used to generate composite films, coat electrodes, or repair damaged membranes.
This production process is fairly expensive.

Properties

The combination of the stable PTFE backbone with the acidic sulfonic groups gives Nafion its characteristics:
The morphology of Nafion membranes is a matter of continuing study to allow for greater control of its properties. Other properties such as water management, hydration stability at high temperatures, electro-osmotic drag, as well as the mechanical, thermal, and oxidative stability, are affected by the Nafion structure.
The first model for Nafion, called the cluster-channel or cluster-network model, consisted of an equal distribution of sulfonate ion clusters with a 40 Å diameter held within a continuous fluorocarbon lattice. Narrow channels about 10 Å in diameter interconnect the clusters, which explains the transport properties.
The difficulty in determining the exact structure of Nafion stems from inconsistent solubility and crystalline structure among its various derivatives. Advanced morphological models have included a core-shell model where the ion-rich core is surrounded by an ion poor shell, a rod model where the sulfonic groups arrange into crystal-like rods, and a sandwich model where the polymer forms two layers whose sulfonic groups attract across an aqueous layer where transport occurs. Consistency between the models include a network of ionic clusters; the models differ in the cluster geometry and distribution. Although no model has yet been determined fully correct, some scientists have demonstrated that as the membrane hydrates, Nafion's morphology transforms from the Cluster-Channel model to a rod-like model.
A more recent water channel model was proposed based on simulations of small-angle X-ray scattering data and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance studies. In this model, the sulfonic acid functional groups self-organize into arrays of hydrophilic water channels, each ~ 2.5 nm in diameter, through which small ions can be easily transported. Interspersed between the hydrophilic channels are hydrophobic polymer backbones that provide the observed mechanical stability.

Applications

Nafion's properties make it suitable for a broad range of applications. Nafion has found use in fuel cells, electrochemical devices, chlor-alkali production, metal-ion recovery, water electrolysis, plating, surface treatment of metals, batteries, sensors, Donnan dialysis cells, drug release, gas drying or humidifaction, and superacid catalysis for the production of fine chemicals. Nafion is also often cited for theoretical potential in a number of fields. With consideration of Nafion's wide functionality, only the most significant will be discussed below.

Chlor-alkali production">Chloralkali process">Chlor-alkali production cell membrane

Chlorine and sodium/potassium hydroxide are among the most produced commodity chemicals in the world. Modern production methods produce Cl2 and NaOH/KOH from the electrolysis of brine using a Nafion membrane between half-cells. Before the use of Nafion, industries used mercury containing sodium amalgam to separate sodium metal from cells or asbestos diaphragms to allow for transfer of sodium ions between half cells; both technologies were developed in the latter half of the 19th century. The disadvantages of these systems is worker safety and environmental concerns associated with mercury and asbestos, economical factors also played a part, and in the diaphragm process chloride contamination of the hydroxide product. Nafion was the direct result of the chlor-alkali industry addressing these concerns; Nafion could tolerate the high temperatures, high electrical currents, and corrosive environment of the electrolytic cells.
The figure to the right shows a chlor-alkali cell where Nafion functions as a membrane between half cells. The membrane allows sodium ions to transfer from one cell to the other with minimal electrical resistance. The membrane was also reinforced with additional membranes to prevent gas product mixing and minimize back transfer of Cl− and −OH ions.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) for fuel cells

Although fuel cells have been used since the 1960s as power supplies for satellites, recently they have received renewed attention for their potential to efficiently produce clean energy from hydrogen. Nafion was found effective as a membrane for proton exchange membrane fuel cells by permitting hydrogen ion transport while preventing electron conduction. Solid Polymer Electrolytes, which are made by connecting or depositing electrodes to both sides of the membrane, conduct the electrons through an energy requiring process and rejoin the hydrogen ions to react with oxygen and produce water. Fuel cells are expected to find strong use in the transportation industry.

Superacid catalyst for fine chemical production

Nafion, as a superacid, has potential as a catalyst for organic synthesis. Studies have demonstrated catalytic properties in alkylation, isomerization, oligomerization, acylation, ketalization, esterification, hydrolysis of sugars and ethers, and oxidation. New applications are constantly being discovered. These processes, however, have not yet found strong commercial use. Several examples are shown below:
Alkylation with alkyl halides
Nafion-H gives efficient conversion whereas the alternative method, which employs Friedel-Crafts synthesis, can promote polyalkylation:
Acylation
The amount of Nafion-H needed to catalyze the acylation of benzene with aroyl chloride is 10–30% less than the Friedel-Crafts catalyst:
Catalysis of protection groups
Nafion-H increases reaction rates of protection via dihydropyran or o-trialkylsilation of alcohols, phenol, and carboxylic acids.
Isomerization
Nafion can catalyze a 1,2-hydride shift.
It is possible to immobilize enzymes within the Nafion by enlarging pores with lipophilic salts. Nafion maintains a structure and pH to provide a stable environment for the enzymes. Applications include catalytic oxidation of adenine dinucleotides.

Sensors

Nafion has found use in the production of sensors, with application in ion-selective, metallized, optical, and biosensors. What makes Nafion especially interesting is its demonstration in biocompatibility. Nafion has been shown to be stable in cell cultures as well as the human body, and there is considerable research towards the production of higher sensitivity glucose sensors.

Antimicrobial surfaces

Nafion surface shows an exclusion zone against bacteria colonization. Moreover, layer-by-layer coatings comprising Nafion show excellent antimicrobial properties.

Modified Nafion for PEM fuel cells

Normal Nafion will dehydrate when temperature is above ~80 °C. This limitation troubles the design of fuel cells, because higher temperatures are desirable for a better efficiency and CO tolerance of the platinum catalyst. Silica and zirconium phosphate can be incorporated into Nafion water channels through in situ chemical reactions to increase the working temperature to above 100 °C.