New sulfonated aryl ether sulfone polymers with perfluorocylcobutyl (pfcb) linkage

FUEL 168

Amit Y. Sankhe, asankhe@ces.clemson.edu1, Jianyong Jin2, S. Suresh, sureshs@clemson.edu3, Chris M. Topping, ctoppin@clemson.edu4, Raul S. Hernandez4, Earl H. Wagener, ewagener@bellsouth.net2, Stephen E Creager, screage@clemson.edu1, and D. W. Smith Jr., dwsmith@clemson.edu4. (1) Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909, (2) Tetramer Technologies, L.L.C, Pendleton, SC 29670, (3) Department of Chemistry; Center for Optical Material Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, (4) Department of Chemistry; Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), Clemson University, HUNTER Laboratory, Clemson, SC 29634
A new class of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PAES) containing the perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) unit have been prepared by the polycondensation of a unique bis-phenol (Bisphenol –T) with two dichlorodiphenylsulfones (DCDPS) under neucleophilic substitution conditions. The incorporation of the sulfonated repeat unit into the copolymers was determined by 1H NMR and FTIR. The resulting polymers show good solubility in polar organic solvents such as DMSO, DMAc and form tough, flexible films by solution casting. The polymers exhibit glass transition temperature near to 130 °C and catastrophic weight loss in N2 at 350-450 °C. These copolymers are promising candidates for high temperature proton exchange membranes in fuel cells.
 

Fuel Cell Chemistry and Operation
1:35 PM-4:30 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Palace -- Gold Ballroom, Oral

Division of Fuel Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006