• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Nanophase-Separated Block-co-Polymers Based on Phosphonated Pentafluorostyrene and Octylstyrene for Proton-Exchange Membranes
  • Contributor: Auffarth, Sebastian [Author]; Wagner, Maximilian [Author]; Krieger, Anja [Author]; Fritsch, Birk [Author]; Hager, Linus [Author]; Hutzler, Andreas [Author]; Böhm, Thomas [Author]; Thiele, Simon [Author]; Kerres, Jochen [Author]
  • Published: ACS Publications, 2023
  • Published in: ACS materials letters 5, 2039 - 2046 (2023). doi:10.1021/acsmaterialslett.3c00569
  • Language: English
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.3c00569; https://doi.org/10.34734/FZJ-2023-02545
  • ISSN: 2639-4979
  • Origination:
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  • Description: Nanophase separation into hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains in commercial perfluorosulfonic acid polymers promotes high conductivity by forming proton-conductive channels within a matrix. To transfer this beneficial phase separation to phosphonic acid functionalized ionomers, we combine phosphonated polypentafluorostyrene and flexible polyoctylstyrene in a di-block-co-polymer. We introduce a stepwise approach, including mesophase simulations, synthesis, and spectroscopic imaging. After the required block lengths were calculated, controlled radical polymerization led to a narrowly distributed block-co-polymer. The respective block-co-polymer membrane outperforms a phosphonated pentafluorostyrene blend concerning conductivity and water uptake. Stained membrane cross-sections revealed bicontinuous nanophase separation in the 13 to 25 nm range in transmission electron microscopy. The ion-conducting phosphonated polymer block assembled into an isotropic, three-dimensional gyroidal network across the membrane. Our stepwise approach is transferable toward other block-co-polymer systems featuring different monomers or functional groups. Applying the proposed principles allows for the prediction of structure-related phase separation while reducing the amount of synthesis work.
  • Access State: Open Access