Polymer useful for an ion exchange membrane
View Patent ↗The present invention provides for a polymer formed by reacting a first reactant polymer, or a mixture of first reactant polymers comprising different chemical structures, comprising a substituent comprising two or more nitrogen atoms (or a functional group/sidechain comprising a two or more nitrogen atoms) with a second reactant polymer, or a mixture of second reactant polymers comprising different chemical structures, comprising a halogen substituent (or a functional group/sidechain comprising a halogen).
1. A composition comprising a polymer having chemical structure:
wherein α is a substituent comprising two or more nitrogen atoms; R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a phenylene oxide, sulfone, imide, ketone, or epichlorohydrin; x and p each is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000; y and q each is independently an integer having a value ranging from 0 to 1,000, or 1 to 1,000; and, m and n each is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000,000.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R1 and R2 are identical.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R3 and R4 are identical.
4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are identical.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein y and/or q is 0.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein α is a substituent comprising a heterocycle structure comprising two or more nitrogen atoms.
7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the substituent comprises an imidazole.
8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has the chemical structure:
wherein X − corresponds to any anion.
9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein X − is a hydroxide anion.
10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has the chemical structure:
wherein q, r, s, x, y, and z each is independently a mole fraction having a value ranging from 0.001 to 0.999; and m and n each is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000,000.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a blend of two or more polymers of different chemical structures, wherein each polymer has the chemical structure:
wherein t, u, v, x, y, and z each is independently a mole fraction having a value ranging from 0.001 to 0.999, and m and n each is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000,000.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has the chemical structure:
13. A method for synthesizing a membrane comprising: (a) reacting a first reactant polymer and a second reactant polymer, optionally (b) converting a precursor polymer into the second reactant polymer, optionally (c) converting the second reactant polymer into the first reactant polymer, wherein steps (b) and (c) occur prior to the reacting step; wherein the first reactant polymer has a chemical structure:
wherein α is a substituent comprising two or more nitrogen atoms; R1 and R2 are each independently a phenylene oxide, sulfone, imide, ketone, or epichlorohydrin; x is an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000; y is an integer having a value ranging from 0 to 1,000, or 1 to 1,000; and, m is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000,000, and the second reactant polymer has a chemical structure:
wherein R3 and R4 are each independently a phenylene oxide, sulfone, imide, ketone, or epichlorohydrin; β is a halogen substituent; p is an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000; q is an integer having a value ranging from 0 to 1,000, or 1 to 1,000; and, n is independently an integer having a value ranging from 1 to 1,000,000.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first reactant polymer has the chemical structure:
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein R3 and R4 are identical.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein q is 0.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein β is —(CH 2 ) a -Hal, wherein a is an integer from one to ten, and Hal is a halogen.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a is an integer is one, two, three, or four.