• Kendrick, Aaron
• Bohlmann, Michele
• Delgado, Jose D.
• Neary, William J.

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>A precision polyethylene containing phenyl branches at every fifth carbon (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic>5Ph) is nearly quantitatively functionalized (≈95%) with sulfonic acid groups on the <jats:italic>para</jats:italic>‐position of each phenyl branch (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic>5PhS‐H). Unlike polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), <jats:italic>p</jats:italic>5PhS‐H has a glass transition temperature (<jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>g</jats:sub> = 109 °C) well below its thermal decomposition temperature (<jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>d</jats:sub> ≈ 200 °C), making this new material capable of thermal processing into molds and films at temperatures between these thermal limits. Neutralization of the sulfonic acid groups with varying counter cations (Li<jats:sup>+</jats:sup>, Na<jats:sup>+</jats:sup>, Cs<jats:sup>+</jats:sup>) produces a new class of precision polyelectrolytes. Neutralization and increasing size of the counter cation improves the thermal decomposition temperature (<jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>d</jats:sub>) to over 400 °C for the Cs<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> form. Neutralization causes <jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>g</jats:sub> to increase above <jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>d</jats:sub> for the Li<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> and Na<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> form. The Cs<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> form is found to have an accessible <jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>g</jats:sub> = 294 °C. Further investigations of water absorption and the polyelectrolyte effect of these systems are discussed.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• Carbon
• glass
• glass
• glass transition temperature
• thermal decomposition
• thermal decomposition temperature