Disulfonated Poly(arylene ether sulfone) Random Copolymers Containing Hierarchical Iptycene Units for Proton Exchange Membranes.

Two series of disulfonated iptycene-based poly(arylene ether sulfone) random copolymers, i.e., TRP-BP (triptycene-based) and PENT-BP (pentiptycene-based), were synthesized via condensation polymerization from disulfonated monomer and comonomers to prepare proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for potential applications in electrochemical devices such as fuel cell.

Water and Salt Transport Properties of Triptycene-Containing Sulfonated Polysulfone Materials for Desalination Membrane Applications.

A series of triptycene-containing sulfonated polysulfone (TRP-BP) materials was prepared via condensation polymerization, and the desalination membrane-relevant fundamental water and salt transport properties (i.e., sorption, diffusion, and permeability coefficients) of the polymers were characterized.

Highly Proton Conducting Polyelectrolyte Membranes with Unusual Water Swelling Behavior Based on Triptycene-containing Poly(arylene ether sulfone) Multiblock Copolymers.

Multiblock poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers are attractive for polyelectrolyte membrane fuel cell applications due to their reportedly improved proton conductivity under partially hydrated conditions and better mechanical/thermal stability compared to Nafion. However, the long hydrophilic sequences required to achieve high conductivity usually lead to excessive water uptake and swelling, which degrade membrane dimensional stability. Herein, we report a fundamentally new approach to address this grand challenge by introducing shape-persistent triptycene units into the hydrophobic sequences of multiblock copolymers, which induce strong supramolecular chain-threading and interlocking interactions that effectively suppress water swelling.