Polyarylether composition and membrane

1. A composition, comprising a polyarylether copolymer of formula I

-[(T-A-T-B) x -]-[(T-A-T-D) y ]-  (Formula 1)

wherein

T is O,

A- is

Y is (CH 2 ) r , (CF 2 ) r , C(CH 3 ) 2 , C(CF 3 ) 2 , or a combination thereof;

R 1 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, cyano, nitro, or perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl;

r is an integer from 1 to 5;

a is 0,

B— is

Z, Z 1 , and Z 2 is CO;

R 2 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

m is independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;

b is 0;

X is

Z 3 is CO;

R 5 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

e is 0;

T is O;

p and r are integers from 1 to 5;

Y′ is O;

E is an amine-containing aromatic diradical,

D- is

R 4 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

d is 0 and n is independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;

Z′ is SO 2 ;

x and y are the repeat units may be from 0 to 500 with a random or block arrangement in the polymer microstructure.

2. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has a chemical structure as shown in formula 2:

wherein

T and T′ are O,

Y and Y′ are (CH 2 ) r , (CF 2 ) r , C(CH 3 ) 2 , C(CF 3 ) 2 , or a combination thereof;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

Z 1 and Z 2 are CO and Z′ is SO 2 ;

a, c, e, m, and n are independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;

x and y are the repeat units may be from 0 to 500 with a random or block arrangement in the polymer microstructure;

b and e are independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 3;

r is an integer from 1 to 5;

X is

Z 3 is CO;

R 5 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

e is 0;

p is an integer from 1 to 5;

T is independently O or S or a combination thereof;

Y′ is O;

E is an amine-containing aromatic diradical.

3. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer is a random copolymer, or block copolymer, or its mixture thereof.

4. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer is a sulfonated polyaryletherketone, or a sulfonated polyarylethersulfone bonded to a polyarylethersulfone, or a sulfonated polyaryletherketone bonded to a polyarylethersulfone, or a polyaryletherketone chain.

5. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether backbone is not sulfonated.

6. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether backbone is sulfonated.

7. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has a ratio of a weight average molecular weight (Mw) to a number average molecular weight (Mn) is in a range of from about 2.00 to about 4.5, wherein the number average molecular weight (Mn) is in a range of from about 25,000 to about 200,000.

8. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has an ion exchange capacity in a range of from about 0.1 to about 4.0 milliequivalents per gram of dry polyarylether copolymer.

9. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has an proton conductivity in a range of from about 0.01 to about 1 siemens per centimeter at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of about 100 percent.

10. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has a water uptake in a range of from about 30 percent to about 200 percent at a temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius.

11. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polyarylether backbone comprises a polyethersulfone, a polyaryletherketone, copolymers or derivatives thereof.

12. The composition as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sulfonated oligomeric group comprises a sulfonated polyaryletherketone, or a sulfonated polyarylethersulfone, copolymers or derivatives thereof.

13. An article formed from the composition as defined in claim 1 , is a cation conducting membrane for fuel cells.

14. A composition comprising a polyarylether copolymer of formula 1

-[(T-A-T-B) x -]-[(T-A-T-D) y ]-  (Formula 1)

wherein

T is O,

A- is

Y is (CH 2 ) r , (CF 2 ) r , C(CH 3 ) 2 , C(CF 3 ) 2 , or a combination thereof;

R 1 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, cyano, nitro, or perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl;

r is an integer from 1 to 5;

a is 0,

B— is

Z, Z 1 , and Z 2 is CO;

R 2 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

m is independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;

b is 0;

X is

Z 3 is CO;

R 5 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

e is 0;

T is O;

p and r are integers from 1 to 5;

Y′ is O;

E is an amine-containing aromatic diradical,

D- is

R 4 is independently C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, allyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, halo, nitro, perfluorinated alkyl, such as trifluoromethyl, or cyano;

d is 0 and n is independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 4;

Z′ is SO 2 ;

x and y are the repeat units may be from 0 to 500 with a random or block arrangement in the polymer microstructure,

wherein the polyarylether copolymer has a ratio of a weight average molecular weight (Mw) to a number average molecular weight (Mn) in a range of from about 2.00 to about 4.5 wherein the number average molecular weight (Mn) is in a range of from about 25,000 and about 200,000, and

ion exchange capacity in a range of from about 0.1 to about 4.0 milliequivalents per gram of dry polyarylether copolymer, and

a water uptake in a range from about 30 percent to about 200 percent at a temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius.

15. The composition as defined in claim 14 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer has an proton conductivity in a range of from about 0.01 to about 1 siemens per centimeter at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of about 100 percent.

16. The composition as defined in claim 14 , wherein the polyarylether copolymer is a sulfonated polyaryletherketone, or a sulfonated polyarylethersulfone bonded to a polyarylethersulfone, or a polyaryletherketone chain.

17. The composition as defined in claim 14 , wherein the polyarylether backbone comprises a polyethersulfone, or a polyaryletherketone or copolymers or derivatives thereof.

18. The composition as defined in claim 14 , wherein the sulfonated oligomeric group comprises a sulfonated polyaryletherketone, or a sulfonated polyarylethersulfone, or copolymers or derivatives thereof.

19. An article formed from the composition as defined in claim 14 , comprises a cation conducting membrane for a fuel cell device or water purification device.

20. An article formed from a composition as defined in claim 1 .

21. The article as defined in claim 20 , is a cation conducting membrane.

22. A fuel cell device comprising the cation conducting membrane, as defined in claim 21 .

23. A water purification device comprising the cation conducting membrane, as defined in claim 21 .