Nafion membranes containing oxygen carriers and oxygen facilitated transport through the membranes

Cobalt complex, e. g. cobalttetraphenylporphyrin, with the imidazole ligand binds oxygen and releases it rapidly. In this research, the Nafion membrane containing cobalt complexes as a fixed oxygen carrier was prepared. Facilitated oxygen transport through the membranes was observed. Cobalt complexes were assumed to be located mainly in the hydrophobic domain of Nafion membrane. Proton conductivity of the membranes maintained high order with the hydrophobic cobalt complexes. Oxygen permeability coefficient (P_O2) for the cobalt complex/Nafion membrane was higher than nitrogen (P_N2) and increased with a decrease in the oxygen upstream pressure. The result indicated that the cobalt complexes fixed in the Nafion membrane acted as an oxygen carrier and facilitated oxygen transport in the membrane.