Polyamides based on diamines containing aryloxy groups: Structure-property relationships

Aromatic polyamides containing different numbers of p-oxyphenylene groups and different catenated positions in the benzene rings were prepared from terephthalic acid (TPA) and isophthalic acid (IPA) with various aryloxy-containing diamines by means of the phosphorylation polycondensation reaction. Most of the polyamides were moderately to highly crystalline, as indicated by X-ray diffraction and DSC measurements. Polyisophthalamides were readily soluble in polar amide-type solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Some non-crystalline polyamides could afford tough films by solution casting. Most polyisophthalamides revealed discernible glass transition on their DSC curves, and their T_g values were recorded in the range of 215–238 °C. No discernible glass transitions were observed for the polyamides of TPA by DSC. The thermal stability of these polymers did not show clear dependence on the structure of the diacid or the diamine. In addition, a series of polyamides having pendant groups was synthesized from the polycondensation of TPA and IPA with 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene and its derivatives with methyl, tert-butyl, or phenyl substituent on the central benzene ring. In most cases, the incorporation of pendant groups generally resulted in an enhanced solubility and a decreased T_g and crystallinity.     

Structure-property relationships in cross-linked polyester-clay nanocomposites

Crosslinked polyester-clay nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing organically modified montmorillonite in prepromoted polyester resin and subsequently crosslinked using methyl ethyl ketone peroxide catalyst at several different clay concentrations (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 wt%). X-ray diffraction studies revealed the formation of a nanocomposite in all cases with the disappearance of the peak corresponding to the basal spacing of the pure clay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the morphology at different length scales and showed the nanocomposite to be comprised of a random dispersion of intercalated/exfoliated aggregates throughout the matrix. Thermal degradation of the nanocomposites was found to be slightly but progressively hastened compared to the pure crosslinked polymer, loss and storage modulus were monotonically shifted toward higher frequency values, and the tensile modulus was found to decrease with increasing clay content. These unexpected results were rationalized based on the decrease in the degree of crosslinking of the polyester resin in the nanocomposite, in the presence of clay. In particular, the nanocomposite containing 2.5 wt% clay consistently demonstrated a drop in properties far greater than that observed at other clay concentrations, and was attributed to the greater degree of exfoliation seen in this case which presumably leads to a greater decrease in the degree of crosslinking. Oxygen permeability rates in the polyester nanocomposites decreased with increasing clay content, as expected, and was satisfactorily reproduced using a tortuosity based model.     

Synthesis of highly sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with sulfonated triptycene pendants for proton exchange membranes

A series of poly(aryl ether sulfone)s containing triptycene groups PES-x-TPD (x refers to molar percentage of TPD) were firstly synthesized through nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation by using 2,5-triptycenediol (TPD), bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone (BHPS) and 4,4′-difluorodiphenyl sulfone (DFDPS). The sulfonation of copolymers was conducted at room temperature by using a mild sulfonating reagent (98% H₂SO₄), and the degree of sulfonation was readily and accurately controlled by adjusting the ratio of TPD and BHPS. The structures of PES-x-TPD and SPES-x-TPD were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. These ionomers generally showed high thermal stability and mechanical strength at low humidity regardless of high IEC value. Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that these novel SPES-x-TPD membranes with high IEC value achieved high proton conductivity in a wide range of humidity at 80 °C. For example, SPES-60-TPD with the highest IEC value 2.86 mmol/g displays the conductivity of 2.5 × 10⁻¹ S/cm which is much higher than that of the perfluorinated Nafion membrane (1.1 × 10⁻¹ S/cm) at 80 °C and 94% RH. At 80 °C and 34% RH, SPES-60-TPD displays the conductivity of 4.5 × 10⁻³ S/cm which is also higher than that of the Nafion membrane (3.0 × 10⁻³ S/cm). Microscopic analyses revealed that well-de?ned phase separated structures and uniform ionic pathway was formed for SPES-45-TPD membrane with the IEC of 2.29 mmol/g. Moreover, a H₂/O₂ fuel cell using the SPES-55-TPD (IEC = 2.68 mmol/g) also showed better performance than that of Nafion 117 at 40 °C and 30% RH.     

Novel side-chain-type sulfonated hydroxynaphthalene-based Poly(aryl ether ketone) with H-bonded for proton exchange membranes

A series of novel side-chain-type sulfonated hydroxynaphthalene poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SHNPAEKs) containing hydroxyl groups was synthesized by post grafted method and the sulfonated degree (Ds) of the polymers could be well controlled. The resulting polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, FT-IR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Meanwhile, the membrane properties for fuel cell applications such as water uptake, proton conductivity and methanol transport have been studied. The influence of pendent structure and inter-/intramolecular H-bonded to the properties of SHNPAEKs has been investigated. The proton conductivities of SHNPAEK membranes showed a range of 0.020-0.197 S/cm and the highest conductivity of 0.197 S/cm was obtained for SHNPAEK-90 (IEC = 2.08 meq./g) at 80 °C. The methanol permeability of SHNPAEK membranes was in the range from 2.65 × 10⁻⁷ to 11.9 × 10⁻⁷ cm²/s, which was much lower than that of Nafion 117.     

Vinyl‐addition type norbornene copolymer containing sulfonated biphenyl pendant groups for proton exchange membranes

The vinyl addition type copolymer poly(butoxymethylene norbornene‐co‐biphenyl oxyhexamethyleneoxymethylene norbornene) (P(BN/BphN)) was synthesized by using bis‐(β‐ketonaphthylimino)nickel(II)/B(C₆F₅)₃ catalytic system. P(BN/BphN) was sulfonated to give sulfonated P(BN/BphN) (SP(BN/BphN)) with concentrated sulfuric acid (98%) as sulfonating agent in a component solvent. The ion exchange capacity (IEC), degree of sulfonation (DS), water uptake, and methanol permeability of the SP(BN/BphN)s were increased with the sulfonated time. The methanol permeability of the SP(BN/BphN) membranes was in the range of 1.8 × 10^?7 to 7.5 × 10^?7 cm²/s, which were lower than the value 1.3 × 10^?6 cm²/s of Nafion®115. The proton conductivity of SP(BN/BphN) membranes increased with the increase of IEC values, temperature, and water uptake. Water uptake of the SP(BN/BphN) membranes was lower than that of Nafion® 115 and leads to low proton conduction. Microscopic phase separation occurred in SP(BN/BphN) membrane and domains containing sulfonic acid groups were investigated by SEM and TEM. SP(BN/BphN) membranes had good mechanical properties, high thermal stability, and excellent oxidative stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

New multiblock copolymers of sulfonated poly(4′-phenyl-2,5-benzophenone) and poly(arylene ether sulfone) for proton exchange membranes. II

Rigid-rod poly(4′-phenyl-2,5-benzophenone) telechelics were synthesized by Ni(0) catalytic coupling of 2,5-dichloro-4′-phenylbenzophenone and the end-capping agent 4-chloro-4′-fluorobenzophenone. The degree of polymerization was determined by ¹³C NMR. The telechelics produced were selectively sulfonated by concentrated sulfuric acid at 50 °C. The degree of sulfonation was controlled by varying the reaction time and was determined by titration. The nucleophilic step copolymerization of the fluoroketone activated sulfonated poly(4′-phenyl-2,5-benzophenone) oligomer (M_n=3.05×10³ g/mol) with hydroxyl terminated biphenol based polyarylethersulfone (M_n=4.98×10³ g/mol) afforded an alternating multiblock sulfonated copolymer that formed flexible transparent films, in contrast to the high molecular weight rigid rod homopolymers. They were tested for water absorption and proton conductivity by specific impedance. The synthesis and characterization of these multiblock copolymers are reported.     

Coarse grain modeling of polyimide copolymers

Addressing the wide span of timescales, where various important phenomena takes place in a polymer system, is inconceivable through a typical molecular dynamics simulation. Coarsening of simpler polymer systems has demonstrated significant potential in computationally characterizing and simulating systems at larger timescales. Addressing the need to extend existing coarsening methodologies on multifunctional materials to help design future generation materials is both promising and challenging. In this paper we present development of an atomistically informed coarse grain bead model of piezoelectric polyimide copolymers for large-scale simulations of thermal, mechanical and especially electrical properties. The coarsening approach generated a gain of two and a half orders of magnitude in terms of computational time and an order of magnitude gain in system size (equivalent to ∼ 360,000 atomistic model) while retaining the physical characteristics specific to the piezoelectric polymer. Reasonable agreement was observed between simulation results of the coarse grained and the atomistic model. Specifically mechanical moduli, density, dielectric constant, yield behavior, work hardening, response under dynamic loading and glass transition behavior were analyzed and compared.     

Synthesis and characterization of sulfonated polyimides bearing sulfonated aromatic pendant group for DMFC applications

A novel side-chain-type sulfonated aromatic diamine, 5-[1,1-bis(4-aminophenyl)-2,2,2- trifluoroethyl]-2-(4-sulfophenoxy)benzenesulfonic acid (BABSA) was synthesized and characterized. Two series of sulfonated polymides (SPI-N and SPI-B) were prepared from 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTDA) or 4,4′-binaphthyl-1,1′,8,8′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BNTDA), sulfonated diamine BABSA and various non-sulfonated aromatic diamines. The resulting sulfonated polyimide (SPI) membranes exhibited good dimensional stability with isotropic swelling of 7-22% and high thermal stability with desulfonation temperature of 283-330 °C. These membranes also displayed excellent oxidation stability and good water stability. The SPI membranes exhibited better permselectivity than Nafion 115 membrane due to their much lower methanol permeability. The ratios of proton conductivity to methanol permeability (Ф) for the SPI membranes were almost two to three times of that for Nafion 115. The SPI-N membranes exhibited excellent conducting performance with the proton conductivity higher than Nafion 115 as the temperature over 40 °C, which attributed to their good hydrophobic/hydrophilic microphase separation structure.     

Partially sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-polybutadiene for proton exchange membrane

A novel block copolymer based on poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-polybutadiene (SPAES-b-PB) was synthesized and its flexible segment was sulfonated by electrophilic addition reaction with acetyl sulfate. This could be a new approach to prepare suitable alternative proton exchange membranes to Nafion^®. Only a single glass transition temperature (T_g) of copolymer measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) indicated good compatibility between PAES block and PB block. A tough and transparent membrane based on SPAES-b-PB exhibited higher proton conductivity (0.0302 S/cm at 25 °C and 100% relative humidity) even with relatively low ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 0.624 mmol/g compared to other sulfonated block copolymer membranes such as sulfonated polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-b-polystyrene (SSEBS), sulfonated poly(styrene-isobutylene-styrene) (S-SIBS), sulfonated hydrogenated poly-butadiene-styrene copolymer (HPBS-SH) as a result of selected sulfonation of the flexible segments facilitating sulfonated groups to aggregate to form ion-rich channels.     

一种新型磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜的合成与表征

质子交换膜是质子交换膜燃料电池膜电极的核心部件之一,它的性能好坏对整个系统的运行起着至关重要的作用．目前在质子交换膜燃料电池中普遍采用的质子交换膜材料是全氟磺酸系列薄膜,这类材料具有较高的质子传导率、化学及机械稳定性,但用于直接甲醇燃料电池（DMFC）时则存在甲醇渗透、导致燃料电池输出性能大大降低的问题     

Synthesis and properties of sulfonated copoly(p-phenylene)s containing aliphatic alkyl pendant for fuel cell applications

A series of novel copoly(p-phenylene)s (PPs) containing an alkyl pendant were successfully synthesized via Ni(0)-catalyzed coupling polymerization. Sulfonated copolymers (SPPs) were achieved by postsulfonation from concentrated H₂SO₄. SPPs showed good solubility in polar aprotic solvents and gave flexible, tough, and transparent free-standing films by solvent casting. The ion exchange capacities (IECs) of the membranes ranged from 2.50 to 2.65 meq/g. All SPP membranes displayed proton conductivity similar to or higher than that of Nafion, especially at high relative humidity (>70% RH) (SPP-1: 0.271 Scm⁻¹, SPP-2: 0.284 Scm⁻¹, SPP-3: 0.212 S cm⁻¹, Nafion: 0.127 Scm⁻¹; at 80 °C and 95% RH). They also exhibited acceptable water uptake in the range of 52-56 vol% at 80 °C with little dimensional change. The gas permeability of the SPP membranes was much lower than that of Nafion 112. Therefore, these materials are promising for fuel cell application.     

Poly(arylene ether)s carrying pendant (3‐sulfonated) phenylsulfonyl groups

A series of poly(arylene ether)s with biphenyl units and pendant sulfonated phenylsulfonyl groups was prepared via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of varying ratios of 3,5‐difluoro‐3′‐sulfonated diphenylsulfone and 4,4′‐difluorodiphenylsulfone with 4,4′‐biphenol. As such, the sulfonic acid moieties reside in the meta position of a pendant, electron‐poor phenylsulfonyl group. Mechanically robust proton‐exchange membranes with ion‐exchange capacities (IEC) ranging from 0.91 to 2.05 meq g^?1 were cast from dimethylacetamide. The thermal stability of the membranes was evaluated via thermogravimetric analysis and the 5% weight losses were found to be in excess of 330 °C in air. The glass transition temperatures were determined, via differential scanning calorimetry, to range from a low of 148 to a high of 209 °C at IEC values of 0.91 and 1.79 meq g^?1, respectively. The copolymer membranes reached proton conductivities as high as 142 mS cm^?1 under 100% relative humidity, with relatively low water uptake values (8–32 wt%). Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of sulfonated poly(arylene-co-naphthalimide)s as novel polymers for proton exchange membranes

A series of novel sulfonated poly(arylene-co-binaphthalimide)s (SPPIs) were successfully synthesized via Ni(0) catalytic coupling of sodium 3-(2,5-dichlorobenzoyl)benzenesulfonate and bis(chloronaphthalimide)s. Bis(chloronaphthalimide)s were conveniently prepared from 5-chloro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride and various diamines. Tough and transparent SPPI membranes were prepared and the electrolyte properties of the copolymers were intensively investigated as were the effects of different diamine structures on the copolymer characterisitics. The copolymer membrane Ia-80, with an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 2.50 meq g⁻¹, displayed a higher proton conductivity, i.e. 0.135 S cm⁻¹ at 20 °C, as compared to Nafion 117 (0.09 S cm⁻¹, 20 °C). The copolymer membrane Id-70, containing 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-methylenedianiline (DMMDA) units, exhibited excellent stability toward water and oxidation due to the introduction of hydrophobic methyl groups on the ortho-position of the imido bond in the copolymer. The mechanical property of Id-70 remained virtually unchanged after immersing membrane in pressured water at 140 °C for 24 h. Furthermore, the introduction of aliphatic segment a hexane-1,6-diamine (HDA) in copolymer led to a significant increase in proton conductivity and water uptake with increasing temperature; the proton conductivity of the Ic-70 membrane reached 0.212 S cm⁻¹ at 80 °C, which was higher than Nafion 117 as well as of the membranes based on aromatic diamines at equivalent IEC values. Consequently, these materials proved to be promising as proton exchange membranes.     

Sulfonated polyimides bearing benzimidazole groups for proton exchange membranes

A series of sulfonated polyimides containing benzimidazole groups were synthesized using 4,4′-binaphthyl-1,1′,8,8′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether-2,2′-disulfonic acid (ODADS) as the sulfonated diamine, and 2-(3′,5′-diaminophenyl)benzimidazole (a) or 6,4′-diamino-2-phenylbenzimidazole (b) as the nonsulfonated diamine. The electrolyte properties of the synthesized polyimides (Ia − x, Ib − x, x refers to molar percentage of the sulfonated diamine) were investigated and compared with those of polyimides (Ic − x) from BTDA, ODADS, and m-phenylenediamine (c). All synthesized polyimides possessed high molecular weights revealed by their high viscosity, and formation of tough and flexible membranes. Polyimides with benzimidazole groups exhibited much better swelling capacity than those without benzimidazole groups. This was attributed to the strong interchain interaction through basic benzimidazole functions and sulfonic acid groups. The sulfonated polyimides that are incorporated with 1,1′,8,8′-binaphthalimide exhibited better hydrolytic stability than that with 1,4,5,8-naphthalimide. Polyimide membranes with good water stability as well as high proton conductivity were developed. Polyimide membrane (Ia − 90), for example, did not lose mechanical properties after being soaked in boiling water for 1000 h, while its proton conductivity was still at a high level (compared to that of Nafion 117).     

Synthesis and properties of novel sulfonated polyimides bearing sulfophenyl pendant groups for fuel cell application

A novel sulfonated diamine bearing sulfophenyl pendant groups, namely, 4,4′-bis (4-aminophenoxy)-3,3′-bis(4-sulfophenyl) biphenyl and a series of sulfonated polyimides (SPIs) based on it were successfully synthesized. The SPIs had high viscosity and gave tough, flexible and transparent membranes. The SPI membranes showed anisotropic membrane swelling in water with 2.5-4 times larger swelling in thickness direction than in plane one. They displayed reasonably high proton conductivity. For example, the conductivities for the SPI with an ion exchange capacity of 1.80 mequiv/g were 104 and 7.3 mS/cm in water and 50% RH, respectively, at 60 °C. They maintained high mechanical strength and proton conductivity even after aging in water at 130 °C for 500 h, showing the high water stability comparable to the best SPI reported so far. In polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) operated at 90 °C and 50% RH, they showed fairly high cell performances and have high potential for PEFC applications.     

Ion exchange properties of sulfonated polycarbonate and polyimide track etch membranes

Heterogeneous sulfonation was successfully utilized to convert the surfaces of PC and PI track etched membranes with 20 nm pores into ion exchange membranes. Short sulfonation times of 1-5 min using gaseous sulfuric trioxide were sufficient to achieve good coverage of ion exchange sites on the membrane surface yet minimal structural damage to the bulk material. Consequently, the ion exchange capacities were relatively low, up to 0.015 meq/g, compared to literature. Electroselectivity typical of ion exchange materials was observed for these membranes and metal uptake of higher valences was preferred Eu³⁺ > Co²⁺ > Cs⁺. Clear differences in metal uptake properties were measured between the sulfonated PC and PI membranes with different ions. As a consequence of relatively high metal uptake and certain experiment set up also Donnan exclusion was determined to play a role in the overall ion exchange process.     

六元环型磺化聚酰亚胺类质子交换膜

磺化聚酰亚胺是一类很有希望在燃料电池中获得应用的质子交换膜材料。本文对近年来六元环型磺化聚酰亚胺的制备、磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜的各项性能做了一定的归纳与分析。重点介绍了耐水性、耐久性、离子交换容量、质子电导率四个方面的测试方法及影响因素,指出目前存在的问题并预测了今后重点研究的方向。     

Structure-property-performance relationships of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s as a polymer electrolyte for fuel cell applications

This article focuses on structure-property-performance relationships of directly copolymerized sulfonated polysulfone polymer electrolyte membranes. The chemical structure of the bisphenol-based disulfonated polysulfones was systematically alternated by introducing fluorine moieties or other polar functional groups such as benzonitrile or phenyl phosphine oxide in the copolymer backbone. Ac impedance measurements of the polymer electrolyte membranes indicated that fluorine incorporation increased proton conductivity, while polar functional group incorporation decreased conductivity. Likewise, other properties such as water uptake and ion exchange capacity are impacted by the incorporation of fluorine moiety or polar groups. These properties are critically tied with H₂/air and direct methanol fuel cell performance. We have rationalized fuel cell performance of these selected copolymers in light of structure-property relationships, which gives useful insight for the development and application of next generation polymer electrolytes.     

Ex situ hydrolytic degradation of sulfonated polyimide membranes for fuel cells

Ex situ hydrolytic stability of sulfonated polyimide (s-PI) membranes for fuel cells was studied depending on structural and external parameters including the ion exchange capacity, the block character, the temperature and the hydrogen peroxide concentration. Infrared spectroscopy was used to identify and quantify the chemical modifications such as the loss of imide functions and of ionic monomers. The decrease in ion exchange capacity due to the elution of sulfonated oligomers was confirmed by sulfur content analysis. A complete hydrolysis of some of the imide functions is observed leading to polymer chain scissions and to the loss of the mechanical properties. It is shown to be a thermo activated process and the activation energy (60 kJ/mol) is found in good agreement with the value determined from fuel cell lifetimes. The degradation in fuel cell conditions is similar but faster than in pure water. The same kinetic can be reproduced ex situ by addition 0.05% of hydrogen peroxide.