Polymers with Cavities Tuned for Fast Selective Transport of Small Molecules and Ions
Ho Bum Park,1,2
Chul Ho Jung,1
Young Moo Lee,1*
Anita J. Hill,3
Steven J. Pas,3
Stephen T. Mudie,3
Elizabeth Van Wagner,2
Benny D. Freeman,2
David J. Cookson4
Within a polymer film, free-volume elements such as pores and
channels typically have a wide range of sizes and topologies.
This broad range of free-volume element sizes compromises a
polymer's ability to perform molecular separations. We demonstrated
free-volume structures in dense vitreous polymers that enable
outstanding molecular and ionic transport and separation performance
that surpasses the limits of conventional polymers. The unusual
microstructure in these materials can be systematically tailored
by thermally driven segment rearrangement. Free-volume topologies
can be tailored by controlling the degree of rearrangement,
flexibility of the original chain, and judicious inclusion of
small templating molecules. This rational tailoring of free-volume
element architecture provides a route for preparing high-performance
polymers for molecular-scale separations.
2 Center for Energy and Environmental Resources and Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78758, USA.
3 The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Materials Science and Engineering, Private Bag 33, S Clayton, VIC 3169, Australia.
4 Australian Synchrotron Research Program, Building 434, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ymlee{at}hanyang.ac.kr
