Design, Synthesis and Characterization of Triptycene-Containing Macromolecules with Hierarchically Controlled Architectures as Functional Membrane Materials for Energy Applications
- University of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
This DOE CAREER award supported the Guo research group at the University of Notre Dame in its efforts to develop hierarchically functional polymer membrane materials based on iptycene unit to enable energy-efficient molecular separations and fast ion transport in polymeric membranes. To do this, the Guo group engaged in three major research objectives, each exploiting a unique molecular motif offered by iptycene units: (1) developing glassy microporous polymers with exquisitely tailored free volume microporosity for ultra-fast and selective gas transport; (2) developing robust PEO-rich multicomponent polymers via supramolecular reinforcement for CO2-selective membranes; and (3) developing ion-containing, nanophase separated multiblock copolymers with suppressed water swelling and fast proton transport for hydrogen fuel cells. Through the research in this project, the iptycene strategy has established a new paradigm of macromolecular design for harnessing free volume microporosity and specific structure motifs to facilitate fast and selective molecular and ion transport in polymers. The results from this project not only provide new fundamental knowledge to the membrane community and broader materials community, but also bridge the technical gaps via providing robust high performance polymer materials for a wide range of applications that impact energy and environmental sustainability. This technical report summarizes the major accomplishments of the study of these innovative polymer membrane materials in this project. For example, introducing triptycene unit into polybenzoxazole structures led to superior size sieving properties, which, along with their ultrahigh gas permeability, placed these polymers among the best gas separation membranes ever reported; the study of PEO-based model network structures demonstrated for the first time that crosslink inhomogeneity (i.e., uneven distribution of crosslink sites)–an previously unexplored structure parameter, plays a significant role in regulating gas transport, ushering in a completely new dimension in the design of crosslinked polymers with broad applicability; exploiting the unique supramolecular interlocking and chain threading interactions and the internal free volume offered by iptycene units addressed the grand challenge of excessive water swelling encountered by conventional ion-containing polymers while allowing nanophase separated membrane morphologies enabling fast ion transport. The new polymer membrane materials and the new macromolecular design strategies developed from this project hold great potential for a much wider applicability beyond gas separations and polyelectrolyte membranes.
- Research Organization:
- University of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0010330
- OSTI ID:
- 1499993
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-NotreDame-SC0010330
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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