The propagation of acoustic waves in water-hydrated Nafion membrane has been monitored using heterodyne-detected transient grating spectroscopy, At room temperature, upon increasing the water content, the speed of sound drops to a value lower than the respective velocities of sound in pure Nafion and pure water. This counterintuitive effect can be explained by a simple calculation of the sound velocity in an effective medium made of water and Nafion polymer. Upon cooling, a phase separation occurs in the sample, and the formation of ice is observed (M. Pineri et al. J. Power Sources 2007, 172, 587-596). This phase transition is characterized via a second acoustic wave observed in the signal. Sound propagation and X-ray diffraction confirm the formation of crystalline ice on the membrane surface, that reversibly melts upon heating. The amount of ice that forms in the sample is monitored as a function of temperature and represents an order parameter for the transition. This parameter follows a power law with an exponent of 0.5, indicating the critical nature of the observed process.

Structure and Acoustic Properties of Hydrated Nafion Membranes / M. Plazanet;P. Bartolini;R. Torre;C. Petrillo;F. Sacchetti. - In: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. B, CONDENSED MATTER, MATERIALS, SURFACES, INTERFACES & BIOPHYSICAL. - ISSN 1520-6106. - STAMPA. - 113:(2009), pp. 10121-10127. [10.1021/jp901406v]

Structure and Acoustic Properties of Hydrated Nafion Membranes

BARTOLINI, PAOLO;TORRE, RENATO;
2009

Abstract

The propagation of acoustic waves in water-hydrated Nafion membrane has been monitored using heterodyne-detected transient grating spectroscopy, At room temperature, upon increasing the water content, the speed of sound drops to a value lower than the respective velocities of sound in pure Nafion and pure water. This counterintuitive effect can be explained by a simple calculation of the sound velocity in an effective medium made of water and Nafion polymer. Upon cooling, a phase separation occurs in the sample, and the formation of ice is observed (M. Pineri et al. J. Power Sources 2007, 172, 587-596). This phase transition is characterized via a second acoustic wave observed in the signal. Sound propagation and X-ray diffraction confirm the formation of crystalline ice on the membrane surface, that reversibly melts upon heating. The amount of ice that forms in the sample is monitored as a function of temperature and represents an order parameter for the transition. This parameter follows a power law with an exponent of 0.5, indicating the critical nature of the observed process.
2009
113
10121
10127
M. Plazanet;P. Bartolini;R. Torre;C. Petrillo;F. Sacchetti
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/385812
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