1999 Volume 25 Issue 6 Pages 1010-1014
This paper describes a method to chemically form a platinum thin layer on the surface of on electro-driven polymer gel membrane for quick bending. Nafion membranes are selected as the polymer gel membrane. To obtain the Pt thin layer of the lower resistance on the Nafion membrane, [Pt (NH3) 4] Cl2 solution is impregnated into the Nafion membranes and then the Nafion membranes are dipped into 0.02 M NaBH4 solution under pH = 9, 293 K to form a Pt thin layer on the membrane surfaces. Subsequently, the Pt thin layer growth on the treated Nafion membrane is performed by two methods (1) and (2). (1) Pt thin layer growth was carried out in the solution of [Pt (NH3) 4] Cl2 and hydrazine mixture under pH =10 and 313 K. The resistance of Pt layer decreased with decreasing the concentration of hydrazine. (2) Pt layer growth on the Nafion membrane impregnating 1 M hydrazine was carried out in the [Pt (NH3) 4] Cl2 solution under pH =10 and 333 K. The resistance of the Pt layer also decreases with increasing concentration of [Pt (NH3) 4] Cl2. The bending rate of polymer gel/platinum composite membrane increases remarkably with decreasing resistance of the Pt thin layer formed by both plating methods (1) and (2). Comparing method (1) with method (2), the Pt thin layer plated on the treated Nafion membrane by method (2) has much lower resistance than that plated by method (1). These results will provide some important information in designing the electro-driven polymer gel/platinum composite membranes.
