Fabrication of Sulfonated Poly Ether Ether Ketone Membranes Reinforced With PEEK Meshes: Mos2 Sputtering to Enhance Functional Properties for PEM Water Electrolysis Application

Membranes play a crucial role in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE), a key technology for green hydrogen production. While perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are widely used in commercial PEMWE systems, hydrocarbon-based membranes are gaining attention due to concerns over fluorine emissions and potential future regulatory restrictions. However, challenges such as swelling and dimensional instability must be addressed for hydrocarbon-based membranes to be viable alternatives. In this study, a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) mesh and a modified PEEK (MPEEK) mesh, treated with oxygen and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), were incorporated into a sulfonated PEEK (SPEEK) matrix to fabricate reinforced hydrocarbon-based membranes. The structural integrity and functional properties of the membranes were investigated. The reinforced membranes exhibited higher tensile strengths, with SPEEK PEEK achieving 43.2 ± 1.6 MPa and SPEEK MPEEK reaching 48.9 ± 1.5 MPa, compared to 3...