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At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Active Thermochemical Tables: Sequential Bond Dissociation Enthalpies of Methane, Ethane, and Methanol and the Related Thermochemistry

Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) thermochemistry for the sequential bond dissociations of methane, ethane, and methanol systems were obtained by analyzing and solving a very large thermochemical network (TN). Values for all possible C–H, C–C, C–O, and O–H bond dissociation enthalpies at 298.15 K (BDE298) and bond dissociation energies at 0 K (D0) are presented. The corresponding ATcT standard gas-phase enthalpies of formation of the resulting CHn, n = 4–0 species (methane, methyl, methylene, methylidyne, and carbon atom), C2Hn, n = 6–0 species (ethane, ethyl, ethylene, ethylidene, vinyl, ethylidyne, acetylene, vinylidene, ethynyl, and ethynylene), and COHn, n = 4–0 species (methanol, hydroxymethyl, methoxy, formaldehyde, hydroxymethylene, formyl, isoformyl, and carbon monoxide) are also presented. The ATcT thermochemistry of carbon dioxide, water, hydroxyl, and carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms is also included, together with the sequential BDEs of CO2 and H2O. The provenances of the ATcT enthalpies of formation, which are quite distributed and involve a large number of relevant determinations, are analyzed by variance decomposition and discussed in terms of principal contributions. The underlying reasons for periodic appearances of remarkably low and/or unusually high BDEs, alternating along the dissociation sequences, are analyzed and quantitatively rationalized. The present ATcT results are the most accurate thermochemical values currently available for these species.

Active Thermochemical Tables↗
DOE OSTI2015

Conformations of organophosphine oxides

The conformations of a series of organophosphine oxides, OP(CH 3 ) 2 R, where R = methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, vinyl, and phenyl, are predicted using the MP2/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Comparison of potential energy surfaces for rotation about P–C bonds with crystal structure data reveals a strong correlation between predicted location and energetics of minima and histograms of dihedral angle distributions observed in the solid state. In addition, the most stable conformers are those that minimize the extent of steric repulsion between adjacent rotor substituents, and the torsional barriers tend to increase with the steric bulk of the rotating alkyl group. MM3 force field parameters were adjusted to fit the MP2 results, providing a fast and accurate model for predicting organophosphine oxides shapes—an essential part of understanding the chemistry of these compounds. As a result, the predictive power of the modified MM3 model was tested against MP2/cc-pVTZ conformations for triethylphosphine oxide, OP(CH 2 CH 3 ) 3 , and triphenylphosphine oxide, OP(Ph) 3 .

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Isomerization and Fragmentation of Cyclohexanone in a Heated Micro-Reactor

Here, the thermal decomposition of cyclohexanone (C 6 H 10 =O) has been studied in a set of flash-pyrolysis microreactors. Decomposition of the ketone was observed when dilute samples of C 6 H 10 =O were heated to 1200 K in a continuous flow microreactor. Pyrolysis products were detected and identified by tunable VUV photoionization mass spectroscopy and by photoionization appearance thresholds. Complementary product identification was provided by matrix infrared absorption spectroscopy. Pyrolysis pressures were roughly 100 Torr, and contact times with the microreactors were roughly 100 μs. Thermal cracking of cyclohexanone appeared to result from a variety of competing pathways, all of which open roughly simultaneously. Isomerization of cyclohexanone to the enol, cyclohexen-1-ol (C 6 H 9 OH), is followed by retro-Diels–Alder cleavage to CH 2 =CH 2 and CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 . Further isomerization of CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 to methyl vinyl ketone (CH 3 CO–CH=CH 2 , MVK) was also observed. Photoionization spectra identified both enols, C 6 H 9 OH and CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 , and the ionization threshold of C 6 H 9 OH was measured to be 8.2 ± 0.1 eV. Coupled cluster electronic structure calculations were used to establish the energetics of MVK. The heats of formation of MVK and its enol were calculated to be Δ f H 298 (cis-CH 3 CO–CH=CH 2 ) = -26.1 ± 0.5 kcal mol –1 and Δ f H 298 (s-cis-1-CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 ) = -13.7 ± 0.5 kcal mol –1 . The reaction enthalpy Δ rxn H 298 (C 6 H 10 =O → CH 2 =CH 2 + s-cis-1-CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 ) is 53 ± 1 kcal mol –1 and Δ rxn H 298 (C 6 H 10 =O → CH 2 =CH 2 + cis-CH 3 CO–CH=CH 2 ) is 41 ± 1 kcal mol –1 . At 1200 K, the products of cyclohexanone pyrolysis were found to be C 6 H 9 OH, CH 2 =C(OH)–CH=CH 2 , MVK, CH 2 CHCH 2 , CO, CH 2 =C=O, CH 3 , CH 2 =C=CH 2 , CH 2 =CH–CH=CH 2 , CH 2 =CHCH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 =CH 2 , and HC≡CH.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Unimolecular Decomposition of JP-8 Jet Fuel Surrogates. I. n-Decane (n-C 10 H 22 )

Exploiting a high temperature chemical reactor, we explored in this paper the pyrolysis of helium-seeded n-decane as a surrogate of the n-alkane fraction of Jet Propellant-8 (JP-8) over a temperature range of 1100–1600 K at a pressure of 600 Torr. The nascent products were identified in situ in a supersonic molecular beam via single photon vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization coupled with a mass spectroscopic analysis of the ions in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ReTOF). Our studies probe, for the first time, the initial reaction products formed in the decomposition of n-decane—including radicals and thermally labile closed-shell species effectively excluding mass growth processes. The present study identified 18 products: molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), C2 to C7 1-alkenes [ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) to 1-heptene (C 7 H 14 )], C1–C3 radicals [methyl (CH 3 ), vinyl (C 2 H 3 ), ethyl (C 2 H 5 ), propargyl (C 3 H 3 ), allyl (C 3 H 5 )], small C1–C3 hydrocarbons [methane (CH 4 ), acetylene (C 2 H 2 ), allene (C 3 H 4 ), methylacetylene (C 3 H 4 )], along with higher-order reaction products [1,3-butadiene (C 4 H 6 ), 2-butene (C 4 H 8 )]. On the basis of electronic structure calculations, n-decane decomposes initially by C–C bond cleavage (excluding the terminal C–C bonds) producing a mixture of alkyl radicals from ethyl to octyl. These alkyl radicals are unstable under the experimental conditions and rapidly dissociate by C–C bond β-scission to split ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) plus a 1-alkyl radical with the number of carbon atoms reduced by two and 1,4-, 1,5-, 1,6-, or 1,7-H shifts followed by C–C β-scission producing alkenes from propene to 1-octene in combination with smaller 1-alkyl radicals. The higher alkenes become increasingly unstable with rising temperature. When the C–C β-scission continues all the way to the propyl radical (C 3 H 7 ), it dissociates producing methyl (CH 3 ) plus ethylene (C 2 H 4 ). Also, at higher temperatures, hydrogen atoms can abstract hydrogen from C 10 H 22 to yield n-decyl radicals, while methyl (CH 3 ) can also abstract hydrogen or recombine with hydrogen to form methane. Finally, these n-decyl radicals can decompose via C–C-bond β-scission to C3 to C9 alkenes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dynamics Insight into Isomerization and Dissociation of Hot Criegee Intermediate CH 3 CHOO

Here, we study the isomerization and dissociation of syn -CH 3 CHOO with high internal energies by combining electronic structure calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics, and RRKM microcanonical variational transition-state theories. The results show a striking effect of the internal energy on the reaction fate of syn -CH 3 CHOO. With lower internal energies, syn -CH 3 CHOO prefers isomerizing to vinyl hydroperoxide, which then produces hydroxyl radical. As the available internal energy increases, the O-elimination channel becomes more competitive and eventually the dominant channel. A third channel leading to methyl dioxirane is found to be less competitive than the former two. However, this channel is highly exothermic and produces greenhouse gases CH 4 and CO 2 ; thus, further investigation is needed to quantify its potential impact on the atmosphere. The present study provides new insight on clarifying the unimolecular reaction fate of hot syn -CH 3 CHOO and theoretical solutions for revealing the impact of internal energy on the complex gas phase reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Scission of the Five-Membered Ring in 1- H -Inden-1-one C 9 H 6 O and Indenyl C 9 H 7 in the Reactions with H and O Atoms

Quantum chemical G3(MP2,CC)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) calculations of the C 9 H 7 O potential energy surface were utilized to investigate the mechanism of the 1-H-inden-1-one (C 9 H 6 O) + H and indenyl (C 9 H 7 ) + O reactions and were combined with Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus Master Equation (RRKM-ME) calculations to predict temperature- and pressure-dependent reaction rate constants and product branching ratios. The most favorable reaction pathways for C 9 H 6 O + H lead to the bimolecular C 8 H 7 + CO products, which are slightly endothermic with respect to the reactants. The reaction begins with H addition to the ortho or meta C atoms in the five-membered ring, C 9 H 6 O + H → w2/w3, and then proceeds by isomerization to w1, (w3 →) w2 → w1. From thereon, the w1 → w9 → w8 → p1 and w2 → w8 → p1 pathways lead to ortho-vinyl phenyl + CO, whereas w1 → w10 → w11 → p2 and C 9 H 6 O + H → w10 → w11 → p2 produce styrenyl + CO. The results of the RRKM-ME calculations showed that only the well-skipping C 9 H 6 O + H → C 8 H 7 (p1/p2) + CO mechanism is relevant under combustion conditions. A comparison with a smaller prototype 2,4-cyclopentadienone + H → C 4 H 5 + CO reaction demonstrated that the H atom is a less efficient destroyer of a cyclopentadienone-like moiety when this moiety is linked to an aromatic or a PAH structure. The C 9 H 7 + O reaction begins with highly exothermic barrierless addition of the oxygen atom to the radical site in the five-membered ring of indenyl producing w1 and then, the reaction mostly proceeds by β-scission in the five-membered ring, which may be preceded by H migration to w2 or w10, and completes by the CO loss forming the highly exothermic C 8 H 7 radical products. Modified Arrhenius expressions for the rate constants of all reactions pertinent to the formation of C 8 H 7 + CO from C 9 H 6 O + H, C 9 H 7 + H, and unimolecular decomposition of benzopyranyl have been generated and suggested for combustion kinetic modeling. Furthermore, it is concluded that the oxidation reactions of a five-membered ring with atomic oxygen remain fast in the presence of attached or surrounding six-membered rings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing Interactions between Adsorbed Polymers and γ-Al 2 O 3 Using Solid-State NMR

The interactions between polymers and metal oxide surfaces affect the physical properties of polymer composites and the selectivity of catalysts used for plastic conversion. Gauging the strengths of these interactions and how they depend on adsorption conformations and polymer structure is nevertheless quite challenging. Herein, we evaluate whether a recently introduced dynamic nuclear polarization-based surface-to-atom distance measurement method can be used to gauge the specific interactions between five vinyl polymers and an oxide support (alumina). The adsorption conformations of polymer monolayers were studied using site-specific 13 C{ 27 Al} rotational-echo saturation-pulse double-resonance (RESPDOR) experiments. The method is effective in revealing the average distance between the adsorbed polymer and the surface, as well as the fraction of the monomers that are adsorbed. Polymers that possess larger side chains are more weakly adsorbed, as evidenced by their formation of more numerous loop and tail structures. In conclusion, the measured RESPDOR dephasing data further reveals that polymer adsorption conformations are largely disordered and involve few hydrogen bonding interactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electronic States of 2,3-Diamino-1,4-naphthoquinone and Its N-Alkylated Derivatives

Diaminoquinones with a captodatively stabilized biradicaloid structure are options for singlet fission, but few such compounds are known. We report the solution spectroscopy and photophysics of 1,2,2,3-tetramethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho[2,3-d]imidazole-4,9-dione (1): its steady-state and transient UV-visible absorption, linear dichroism in stretched poly(vinyl alcohol), and magnetic circular dichroism. We also describe the absorption spectra of the stable radical ions 1+ and 1- and of two parent structures, 2,3-diamino-1,4-naphthoquinone (2) and 2,3-bis(methylamino)-1,4-naphthoquinone (3). The spectra are interpreted and electronic transitions are assigned by comparison with the results of density functional theory and MS-CASPT2 calculations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Time-Resolved Kinetic Chirped-Pulse Rotational Spectroscopy in a Room-Temperature Flow Reactor

Chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter-wave spectroscopy is a potentially powerful tool for studying chemical reaction dynamics and kinetics. Branching ratios of multiple reaction products and intermediates can be measured with unprecedented chemical specificity; molecular isomers, conformers, and vibrational states have distinct rotational spectra. Here we demonstrate chirped-pulse spectroscopy of vinyl cyanide photoproducts in a flow tube reactor at ambient temperature of 295 K and pressures of 1-10 mu bar. This in situ and time-resolved experiment illustrates the utility of this novel approach to investigating chemical reaction dynamics and kinetics. Following 193 nm photodissociation of CH2CHCN, we observe rotational relaxation of energized HCN, HNC, and HCCCN photoproducts with 10 mu s time resolution and sample the vibrational population distribution of HCCCN. The experimental branching ratio HCN/HCCCN is compared with a model based on RRKM theory using high-level ab initio calculations, which were in turn validated by comparisons to Active Thermochemical Tables enthalpies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of the Micelle Opening in Self-assembled Amphiphilic Block Co-polymer Films on the Infiltration of Inorganic Precursors

Infiltration of the polymer templates with inorganic precursors using the selective vapor-phase infiltration approach, or sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS), allows the design of materials with advanced properties. Swelling of the block co-polymer (BCP) templates enables the additional control of the structure, porosity, and thickness of the composite or inorganic materials. Here, we use the highly precise quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique to investigate quantitatively the effect of the micelle opening by swelling and inorganic precursor infiltrating on the evolution of porosity in amphiphilic BCPs. We show that swelling of the polystyrene-block-poly-4-vinyl pyridine (PS-b-P4VP) BCP in ethanol at 75 °C occurs rapidly and results in a stable polymer structure in 30 min. By using an alumina model system, we found that swelling enables access to all available polar domains of the PS-b-P4VP film leading to an increase in the SIS-infiltrated alumina mass as compared to the nonswelled BCP layer. Our results demonstrate that swelling of the 110 nm thick BCP template results in the formation of 192 nm thick alumina films with 2 times larger alumina mass and 4 times larger effective pore volume than in case of the nonswelled sample. In the case of the thicker polymer template, the difference due to swelling becomes even more substantial because the fraction of accessible polymer is increased much more than in thin films. Our findings provide important insights into the mechanism of the infiltration of the inorganic precursors into swelled and nonswelled, spin-coated BCP templates enabling the design of highly porous thick ceramic films by SIS.

She, Yunlong↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enrichment and Distribution of Pb 2+ Ions in Zwitterionic Poly(cysteine methacrylate) Brushes at the Solid–Liquid Interface

Cysteine-based polyzwitterionic brushes have been prepared via a two-step route. First, poly(allyl methacrylate) (PAMA) brushes have been grown from the surface of silicon substrates using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The obtained PAMA brushes with free pendant vinyl groups were further modified via radical thiol-ene addition reaction to attach L-cysteine moieties. Surface zeta potential investigations on pH-responsiveness of these poly(cysteine methacrylate) (PCysMA) brushes confirm their zwitterionic character at intermediate pH range, while at pH values either below pH 3.50 or above pH 8.59, they exhibit polyelectrolyte character. Under acid (pH < 3.50) or base (pH > 8.59) conditions, they possess either cationic or anionic character, respectively. In the zwitterionic region, these PCysMA brushes show positive surface $\zeta$ potential in the presence of Pb(CH 3 COO) 2 solutions of various concentrations. The results are in line with microscopic investigations using anomalous X-ray reflectivity (AXRR) carried out along the absorption edge of Pb 2+ ions. When the photon energies were varied around the absorption L3 edge of lead (13037 eV), the Pb 2+ concentration normal to the silicon substrates, as a function of depth inside PCysMA brushes, could be revealed at the nanoscale. Both zeta potential and AXRR measurements confirm the enrichment of Pb 2+ ions inside PCysMA brushes, indicating the potential of PCysMA to be used as a water purification material.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Rational Polymer Design of Stretchable Poly(ionic liquid) Membranes for Dual Applications

Many functional polymeric materials are inherently fragile at ambient conditions. Consequently, making them elastic and flexible is a challenging task, and such achievement is especially meaningful in a wide range of applications including separation membranes and stretchable devices. Poly(ionic liquids) (PILs), such as vinyl-imidazolium-based polymers, are known to be “brittle” functional polymers due to their “glassy” nature at ambient temperature. We herein developed a viable approach to enable glassy PILs with high flexibility and good elasticity via a rational molecular design of chemical composition and polymer architectures. The reversible addition/fragmentation chain transfer agents (RAFT-CTAs) were attached to the flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) backbones. The polymerization of functional ionic liquid monomers from RAFT-CTAs provided grafted copolymers with the functional side chains, which were further cross-linked by di-functional PDMS. Poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate is copolymerized with ionic liquid monomers to reduce the glass transition temperature (Tg), providing higher chain mobility and elasticity at ambient temperature. The synthesized elastic PIL-based membranes (E-PILs) have dramatically improved stretchability, reaching 122–422%. In addition to significantly improved extensibility, the synthesized E-PILs also exhibit higher ionic conductivity, critical for potential applications in solid-state batteries. Moreover, in comparison to glassy solid PIL membranes, the E-PILs also exhibited enhanced flexibility and excellent gas-separation performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Shape-Persistent, Thermoresponsive Polypeptide Brushes Prepared by Vapor Deposition Surface-Initiated Ring-Opening Polymerization of α-Amino Acid N -Carboxyanhydrides

We report that surface-grafting thermoresponsive polymers allows the preparation of thin polymer brush coatings with surface properties that can be manipulated by variation of temperature. In most instances, thermoresponsive polymer brushes are produced using polymers that dehydrate and collapse above a certain temperature. This report presents the preparation and properties of polymer brushes that show thermoresponsive surface properties, yet are shape-persistent in that they do not undergo main chain collapse. The polymer brushes presented here are obtained via vapor deposition surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization (SI-ROP) of γ-di- or tri(ethylene glycol)-modified glutamic acid N-carboxyanhydrides. Vapor deposition SI-ROP of γ-di- or tri(ethylene glycol)-modified L- or D-glutamic acid N-carboxyanhydrides affords helical surface-tethered polymer chains that do not show any changes in secondary structure between 10 and 70 °C. QCM-D experiments, however, revealed significant dehydration of poly(γ-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)-l-glutamate) (poly(L-EG 2 -Glu)) brushes upon heating from 10 to 40 °C. At the same time, AFM and ellipsometry studies did not reveal significant variations in film thickness over this temperature range, which is consistent with the shape-persistent nature of these polypeptide brushes and indicates that the thermoresponsiveness of the films is primarily due to hydration and dehydration of the oligo(ethylene glycol) side chains. The results we present here illustrate the potential of surface-initiated NCA ring-opening polymerization to generate densely grafted assemblies of polymer chains that possess well-defined secondary structures and tunable surface properties. These polypeptide brushes complement their conformationally unordered counterparts that can be generated via surface-initiated polymerization of vinyl-type monomers and represent another step forward to biomimetic surfaces and interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bio-Inspired Hydrogen-Bond Cross-Link Strategy toward Strong and Tough Polymeric Materials

It remains a huge challenge to create advanced polymeric materials combining high strength, great toughness, and biodegradability so far. Despite enhanced strength and stiffness, biomimetic materials and polymer nanocomposites suffer notably reduced extensibility and toughness when compared to polymer bulk. Silk displays superior strength and toughness via hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) assembly, while cuticles of mussels gain high hardness and toughness via metal complexation cross-linking. Here, we propose a H-bonds cross-linking strategy that can simultaneously strikingly enhance strength, modulus, toughness, and hardness relative to polymer bulk. The H-bond cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) exhibits high yield strength (similar to 440 MPa), reduced modulus (similar to 22.5 GPa) in nanoindention tests, hardness (similar to 0.5 GPa), and great extensibility (similar to 40%). More importantly, there exist semiquantitive linear relationships between the number of effective H-bond and macroscale properties. This work suggests a promising methodology of designing advanced materials with exceptional mechanical by adding low amounts (<= 1.0 wt %) of small molecules multiamines serving as H-bond cross-linkers.

Song, Pingan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte Enabled via Aza-Michael Addition

Single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes present a possible route for achieving high energy density next-generation batteries due to their flexible nature and high cation transport number. The trifluoromethanesulfonimide (TFSI) functional group represents one of the most efficient tethered anions for Li-ion conductivity. However, the covalent attachment of TFSI groups into polymer electrolytes has been challenging and costly due to its synthetic difficulty and limited commercial availability of building blocks. Here, we present a new polymer electrolyte synthesized by the Michael addition reaction between poly(allylamine) (PAA) and a vinyl TFSI anion under mild reaction conditions. The resulting PAATFSI exhibits a lower glass transition temperature and several orders of magnitude higher Li-ion conductivity than similar TFSI-based single-ion conducting homopolymers in the dry state. Moreover, PAATFSI exhibits excellent Li-ion conductivity (2.7 × 10 –4 S/cm at 30 °C) with the addition of a plasticizer (60 wt % of carbonate solvent), which enables stable lithium–metal battery performance. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a facile route for the synthesis of new single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes that opens a library of possibilities to enable the realization of polymer-based batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

SAN-Based Block Polymers as a Platform for Manufacturing Strong Isoporous Membranes

Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are ubiquitous in water purification and bioprocessing. However, co-designing their mechanical and transport properties remains challenging because of the broad pore size distributions at the surface and within the bulk that result from nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) – their typical manufacturing process. These distributions influence the hydrodynamic resistance to water flow and the stress concentrations around the pores. Developing advanced UF membranes requires innovative molecular designs that offer control over the surface and bulk pores, as well as the mechanical properties of the load-bearing, polymer. Here, we introduce a platform for designing UF membranes by leveraging solution self-assembly of block polymers and chain architectures with pendant polar groups. The block polymers consist of a poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) hydrophobic block, which is known for its strength, and a poly(4-vinyl pyridine) hydrophilic block, which drives solution self-assembly. We focus on a series of block polymers with constant molecular weight, M n ≈ 115 kDa, SAN fraction, 75 wt.%, and varying acrylonitrile content, 0 to 40 mol%, to demonstrate that: (i) RAFT dispersion copolymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene provides a facile route to synthesize strong block polymers, (ii) incorporation of acrylonitrile into the hydrophobic block enhances membrane strength by facilitating chain entanglements and dipole-dipole interactions, and (iii) acrylonitrile alters the balance between membrane permeance and rejection, even when the membranes feature similar surface and bulk pores. Overall, our results provide insights into the molecular design of UF membranes with enhanced mechanical and separation properties, contributing to the development of materials for water and energy technologies.

deformation↗
DOE OSTI2016

A Reactive Platform Approach for the Rapid Synthesis and Discovery of High $χ$/Low N Block Polymers

We report a reactive polymer platform for the rapid discovery of strongly segregated diblock polymers that microphase separate into well-defined morphologies with sub-5 nm features. Our strategy employs reactive poly(styrene- block -2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone) (SV) polymers with low degrees of polymerization ( N ), in which the V blocks undergo selective and quantitative reactions with functional primary amines, to identify new poly(acrylamides) that are highly immiscible with poly(styrene) and induce block polymer self-assembly. Using a combination of optical birefringence and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we characterize a library of 17 block polymers produced by amine functionalization of four parent SV diblocks synthesized by sequential RAFT polymerizations. Further, we demonstrate that V block functionalization with hydroxy- and methoxy-functional amines yields diblocks that order into lamellar mesophases with half-pitches as small as 3.8 nm. Thus, this azlactone-based reactive molecular platform enables combinatorial generation of polymer libraries with diverse side chain structures that may be rapidly screened to identify new high $χ$/low N systems for self-assembly at ever decreasing length scales.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗