Synthesis and Property of Semicrystalline Anion Exchange Membrane with Well-Defined Ion Channel Structure

A new poly­(3,4′-alkylbithiophene)-based anion exchange membrane was designed and synthesized. A well-defined crystalline bilayer lamellae structure with ion channel was constructed by self-organization of the polymer and maintained even in a hydrated state because of the semicrystalline nature of the materials. As a result, swelling of the membrane was effectively suppressed, and higher anion conductivity was obtained compared with a control polymer without ion channel. The synthesized polymer is a promising model system for further understanding of the relationship between solid-state structures and anion-conducting membrane properties