Zahra Seyedzadeh - Department of Chemistry, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Iran
Fariborz Atabaki - Department of Chemistry, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Iran
Negin Ghaemi - Department of Chemical Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology Kermanshah, Iran
Mohammad Nasiri - Department of Chemistry, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Iran

Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-hydroxyphenyl maleimide) (MMA-co-HMI) copolymer was synthesizedusing free radical polymerization of MMA with a new MI monomer containing phenyl group. Protonexchange fuel cell membranes (PEFCM) were prepared using these copolymers as membrane matrix.Dry-phase inversion method was employed to fabricate membranes with different concentrations ofcopolymers. Characteristics and proton conductivity of membranes were investigated using FTIR, SEMand AC impedance spectroscopy. Applying MMA-co-HMI as copolymer improved the protonconductivity of membrane (1.2 × 10−1 S.cm−1) due to the interaction between the functional groups ofMMA-co-HMI copolymer (OH, C=O molecules) and solvent molecules.

Proton exchange membrane; Fuel cell; Copolymer; Methyl methacrylate-co-maleimide