Ramos Rivera, Gilberto

Profile Picture

Filters

20231
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Synthesis and characterization of multi-ionic polymers with sulfonated units and blends for improved protective capabilities and energy efficient devices
    (2023-05-11) Ramos Rivera, Gilberto; Suleiman Rosado, David; College of Engineering; Bogere, Moses N.; Mina Camilde, Nairmen; Saliceti Piazza, Lorenzo; Department of Chemical Engineering; Valentin Rullan, Ricky
    Preparation and characterization of polymers with diverse ionic domains for use in methanol fuel cells and protective clothing against chemical agents was accomplished in this study. The techniques used to synthesize polymeric materials were condensation polymerization and radical polymerization, controlled by the transfer of atoms. The structures obtained by the methods used resulted in random polymers with ketone and sulfone units, copolymers with hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks, and three-block copolymers combining amines, methacrylate, and polystyrene. Additionally, two chapters study the role of polymer mixtures in improving proton transport properties and water permeability across membranes. Characterizations for the materials studied included thermal stability, oxidative, proton conduction capacity, methanol permeability, breathability, and selectivity. These were carried out to understand how the structural variations caused by their ionic diversity affected the critical properties of the membranes used and how these could be optimized in future work. Among the major findings of this work was that the ion exchange capacity does not represent a crucial limitation for proton conduction if the polymer contains several ionic domains that interact effectively. Increasing the sulfonation of a polymer is not necessarily the way to improve proton conduction, but the right combination of ionic domains is. Another important contribution of this work is using the synthesis process before sulfonation. This process obtained a controlled and reproducible sulfonation in random polymer synthesis. This study showed that more conductive polymer membranes could be achieved for random sulfone polymers than for random ketone polymers. Finally, the role of polymeric mixtures was an important factor in improving the mechanical properties and transport of water through membranes because it provides more opportunities for interaction between hydrophilic groups.