Properties of Anion Exchange Membrane Based on Polyamine: Effect of Functionalized Silica Particles Prepared by Sol–gel Method

Silica surface was modified via sol-gel method using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) as precursor. Membrane of polyamine (PK-PDAP) containing modified silica were prepared via a solution casting method and evaporation of solvent, followed by methylation and ion exchange process. The influence of the modified silica (Si-NH2) on the properties of the obtained membranes were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to confirm the chemical formation of the modified silica and the interaction between the modified silica and polyamine polymer. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was used to support the FTIR results. Characterization studies using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the high thermal stability and properties of the modified membrane. The thermal stability was improved as a result of the interaction of modified silica particles and polyamine polymer. It is demonstrated that the performance of the PK-PDAP/ modified Si-NH2 anion exchange membrane is greatly improved by incorporation of nanoparticles as compared with anion exchange membrane of PK-PDAP. Therefore, the PK-PDAP/modified Si-NH2 membrane is a suitable candidate for electrochemical applications.