Understanding Ionomer Membrane Morphology through Computational Analysis of Small Angle Scattering Experiments

Nafion™ membranes are widely used in fuel cells and water electrolyzers due to their superior mechanical and ion transport properties. The morphology within these membranes dictates the ion transport through their ionomer hydrophilic domains. While it is known that the structure of ionomer hydrophilic domains changes with different extents of hydration and processing techniques, the structural evolution of these domains during processing is still not fully understood. Small-angle scattering (SAS) measurements are used to characterize structure at multiple length scales and can provide insights into the structural evolution of ionomer domains at various processing conditions. In this poster, we will present our ongoing work to extend the 'Computational Reverse Engineering Analysis for Scattering Experiments' (CREASE) algorithm, previously developed for analysis of one-dimensional SAS profiles, towards analysis and interpretation of two-dimensional SAS profiles. Specifically, we will demonstrate the steps involved in the development of CREASE for analysis of two-dimensional SAS profiles and its application to interpreting the structure of Nafion™ ionomer films.