Abu Zafar Al Munsur

Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) · Hydrogen Energy Technology Laborator

Nafion, a perfluoro-sulfonic acid (PFSA)-based polymer, is a promising material that will help realize the commercialization of proton exchange membrane-based fuel cells (PEMFCs) and proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). However, Nafion also exhibits reduced mechanical and dimensional stability and increased hydrogen crossover unde...

The new hydrophilic–hydrophobic comb-type anion exchange membrane (AEM) was prepared from SEBS grafted with hexyl quaternary ammonium (HQA) and fluorobenzoyl. As confirmed by XRD and TEM, a better phase separation was obtained by adding a highly hydrophobic fluorine-substituted pendant as an enhanced hydrophobic spacer to the conducting head group...

Nafion, as a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA)-based polymer, is a key material that contributes to the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The high dependence on relative humidity (RH) of Nafion or other PFSA membranes for proton conduction, together with its decreased mechanical and dimensional stability and high fuel (...

3-Picolinic acid is an efficient organo-catalyst for a one-pot three-component synthesis of 2, 4, 5-triaryl substituted imidazole. Moreover, the utility of this catalyst has been extended to the four-component synthesis of 1, 2, 4, 5- tetra- substituted imidazole. The pivotal advantages of this process are easy purification, cost-effectiveness, and...

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have drawn growing interests in the past decade. The inexpensive non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) catalyst and faster oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) kinetic at high pH are the potential driving force to develop AEM materials. Despite numerous studies, molecular design rules have not yet been fully el...

Rubbery polymer membranes prepared from CO2-philic PEO and/or highly permeable PDMS are desired for efficient CO2 separation from light gases (CH4 and N2). Poor mechanical properties and size-sieving ability, however, limit their application in gas separation applications. Crosslinked rubbery polymer-based gas separation membranes with a low Tg bas...

We chemically modify a commercially available elastomeric triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) SEBS, to produce quaternary ammonium-functionalized hexyl bis(quaternary ammonium)-mediated partially-crosslinked SEBSs with different grafting degree of the conducting head groups as highly conductive and stable anion exchan...

Poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymers are prepared with 50% hexyl quaternary ammonium (HQA) and 20% alkyl chains of different chain lengths: C4 (50HQA-20C4-SEBS) and C12 (50HQA-20C12-SEBS). Their physicochemical and electrical properties are investigated for use as novel alkaline anion exchange membranes. In most...

Random copolymers made of both (PIM-polyimide) and (6FDA-durene-PI) were prepared for the first time by a facile one-step polycondensation reaction. By combining the highly porous and contorted structure of PIM (polymers with intrinsic microporosity) and high thermomechanical properties of PI (polyimide), the membranes obtained from these random co...

Random copolymers made of both (PIM-polyimide) and (6FDA-durene-PI) were prepared for the first time by a facile one-step polycondensation reaction. By combining the highly porous and contorted structure of PIM (polymers with intrinsic microporosity) and high thermomechanical properties of PI (polyimide), the membranes obtained from these random co...

A series of bisimidazolium PEG-mediated crosslinked polyimides (BI-PEG-xPIs) with different PEG chain lengths were prepared for CO2 separation membranes. Both the ionic group (bisimidazolium) and PEG were used not only as CO2-solubilizing groups to enhance the CO2 selectivity but also as crosslinkers to inhibit plasticization. The crosslinked BI-PE...

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)s (PPOs)-based anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with four of the most widely investigated head groups were prepared. Through a combination of experimental and simulation approaches, the effects of the different types of head groups on the properties of the AEMs, including hydroxide conductivity, water content, p...

An environmentally friendly, four-component, one-pot condensation reaction of phthalimide or phthalic anhydride, various aromatic aldehydes, ethylcyanoacetate, and hydrazine hydrate is presented.

An efficient, four-component, one-pot condensation reaction among phthalimide or phthalic anhydride, aromatic aldehydes, and ethyl cyanoacetate for the synthesis of 1H-pyrazolo[1, 2-b]phthalazine-5, 10-dione derivatives mediated by L-proline in excellent yields is reported.

Keeping the target to unhurt the environment and to minimize the wastage and spoilage of huge solvent in the chemical transformation, the present dissertation described a route for the synthesis of tri- & tetra- substituted imidazoles through multicomponent one-pot scaffold catalyzed by 3-picolinic acid. The reaction was carried out simply on water...