Nanoporous polymer particles and gels containing functionalized semi-rigid copolymer structures

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY The fundamental and exploratory research of this project is directed toward the discovery of new specifically designed polymeric materials that can serve as enabling materials for innovations in specific gas and metal ion sorbent technologies. Such materials could be employed as tools for applications involving gas emissions and water pollution. This project will focus on creation and study of high-surface-area polymer particles. These would contain high loadings of specifically chosen chemical groups delivered by specially designed polymer units and could be readily prepared by industrially practiced polymerization processes. These polymeric materials could provide practical candidates for acid gas and heavy metal ion capture (e.g., carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, heavy-metal ions). Some of these polymers could also lead to practical high-surface-area polymer particles for enhancing reversible storage of hydrogen. Results from this project will be reported at major scientific conferences and published in high-impact journals. Students trained with intense interactions across discipline boundaries are an important output of this research. The tight coupling of disciplinary and interdisciplinary training in the scientific development of new functional polymeric materials will prepare students to enter the scientific workforce well-prepared to make important contributions for advancing the technological growth of the nation. TECHNICAL SUMMARY The research described in this project focuses on preparing and studying novel semi-rigid, sterically crowded and precisely functionalized nanoporous hypercrosslinked polymeric materials. Precise insertion of semi-rigid segments from alternating copolymers into hypercrosslinked polymer particles delivers new chemical backbone units to modify properties of network systems. Precise control of placement of functional groups from strictly alternating sequences will enable unique solid state constructs that are expected to provide excellent control over physical properties of the resulting networks. For hypercrosslinked systems, these semi-rigid units slow pore collapse during the hypercrosslinking step. Computational collaboration will help guide the development of the fundamentals for designing higher surface area functional particles. These new hypercrosslinked polymeric materials will possess high surface areas with high concentrations of functional groups designed for specific interactions with gas sorbates, metal ions, or other reactive molecules. Comparison of semi-rigid chain stiffening sequences to less sterically crowded functional copolymer sequences will assist in elucidating the role of chain stiffness on fundamental structure property relationships. Recent discoveries with semi-rigid structures containing carboxylic acid functional group will be expanded to hypercrosslinked polymeric materials with primary and secondary amine groups and phenolic groups precisely enchained in the polymer backbone. It is anticipated that these new functional nanoporous particles will be effective solid sorbents for carbon dioxide and other acidic gases. Hypercrosslinked nanoporous polymer particles containing aromatic amines will be targeted also and their potential for hydrogen storage studied.