METHOD OF MAKING POLYARYLENE IONOMERS AND MEMBRANES
Described herein is the preparation of polyarylene ionomers copolymers, both polysulfones and sulfonimide containing, useful as membranes in electrochemical cells.
1 . A process to prepare a copolymer comprising polymerizing a monomer of Formula (II)
and a monomer of Formula (III)
wherein T is a bulky aromatic group, X is independently Br or Cl, and M is one or more of monovalent cation.
2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is done in the presence of a zerovalent transition metal and a neutral ligand in the form of a complex.
3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the zerovalent transition metal is palladium or nickel.
4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the zerovalent transition metal is bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) and the neutral ligand is 2,2′-bipyridine.
5 . The process of claim 1 wherein an accelerator is present.
6 . The process of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is performed in a solvent.
7 . The process of claim 6 wherein the solvent is one or more of N,N-dimethylformamide, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, anisole, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethylacetamide, or N-methylpyrrolidinone.
8 . The process of claim 1 wherein the copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 30,000.