@article{oai:repo.qst.go.jp:00080534,
 author = {Zhao, Yue and Yoshimura, Kimio and Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud, Ahmed and Hwan-Chul, Yu and Okushima, Shun and Hiroki, Akihiro and Kishiyama, Yoshihiro and Shishitani, Hideyuki and Yamaguchi, Susumu and Tanaka, Hirohisa and Noda, Yohei and Koizumi, Satoshi and Radulescu, Aurel and Maekawa, Yasunari and Zhao, Yue and Yoshimura, Kimio and Okushima, Shun and Hiroki, Akihiro and Maekawa, Yasunari},
 issue = {35},
 journal = {soft matter},
 month = {Sep},
 note = {Newly designed styrylimidazolium-based grafted anion-exchange membranes (StIm-AEMs), in which imidazolium ionic groups are attached to styrene at the far side from the graft chains, were prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization of p-(2-imidazoliumyl) styrene onto poly(ethylene-cotetrafluoloethylene) (ETFE) films, followed by N-alkylation and ion-exchange reactions. StIm-AEM having an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 0.54 mmol g1 with a grafting degree (GD) of B18%, possesses practical conductivity (450 mS/cm) even with a very low water uptake (10%) and high stability over
600 h in a 1 M KOH solution at 80 1C. There exists a critical IEC (IECc) in the range of 0.7–0.8 mmol/g over which the membrane showed high water uptake, which resulted in pronounced susceptibility to hydrolysis. Using small-angle neutron scattering technique with a contrast variation method, we found
the hydrophilic phase in StIm-AEMs with IECs lower and higher than IECc shows ‘‘reverse-micelles’’ with water domains dispersed in the polymer matrix and ‘‘micelles’’ with graft polymer aggregates dispersed in the water matrix, respectively. The further analysis of micelle structures using the hard-sphere liquid model and Porod limit analysis reveals that the interfacial structures of ionic groups are essential for the electrochemical properties and durability of StIm-AEMs. In addition, StIm-AEM with an IEC of 0.95 mmol/g and the maximum power density of 80 mW/cm2 in the hydrazine hydrate fuel cell test, exhibited long-term durability under constant current (8.0 mA) up to 455 h, which, thus far, is the best durability at 80 C for platinum-free alkaline-type liquid fuel cells.},
 pages = {8128--8143},
 title = {A long side chain imidazolium-based graft-type anion-exchange membrane: novel electrolyte and alkaline-durable properties and structural elucidation using SANS contrast variation},
 volume = {16},
 year = {2020}
}