Polymers for Electrochemical Energy

推动下一代技术的两类功能大分子是离子导电聚合物(用于电化学能量转换)和PI共轭聚合物(用于有机电子)。通过设计和合成选定的功能性大分子，该计划探索了它们的分子结构、形态和性质之间的关系，旨在提供一个基础知识和培训平台，以促进下一代电化学能源技术的发展。 随着电化学能量转换技术(如燃料电池、电解槽、氧化还原液流电池、太阳能燃料装置)的出现，人们对离子导电聚合物，特别是氢和羟基导电聚合物的兴趣与日俱增。全氟磺酸(PFSA)离聚体是典型的质子导电聚合物，它的高分子链在薄膜中形成离子通道，但它有显著的、众所周知的缺点。在碱性介质中，用于氢氧化物传输膜的聚合物通常具有共价键合到聚合物主链上的季铵基团，但这些基团在强碱性溶液中的稳定性很差。 在用于新兴电化学技术的聚合物薄膜的演变中，一项重要的发展涉及探索将聚合物的易加工特性与在固态中形成长程有序以促进离子传输的策略相结合。在阴离子传输材料的情况下，设计对苛性环境稳定的有机聚合物的复杂性是一个额外的挑战。该研究计划的主要目标是探索设计新型含离子聚合物的合成策略，这些策略可用于进一步了解分子结构如何控制聚合物的形态，进而在开发耐用的固体聚合物电解质的背景下，该形态如何促进离子传输。该计划中的子项目涉及碳氢化合物、质子和氢氧化物导电聚合物的结构控制，并建立在我们实验室最近开发的两个截然不同的低聚构建块的基础上。此外，在开发固体聚合物电解质的计划的背景下，我们将在PI共轭聚合物电极上开发一个跨学科的光电化学领域。该计划旨在研究一种涉及聚合物合成、电化学和光电化学的策略，在固体聚合物电解质中实现PI共轭聚合物的光电化学，未来的目标是从太阳辐射的有机薄膜中释放氢气。

Two classes of functional macromolecules that are driving next-generation technologies are Ion-Conducting Polymers (for electrochemical energy conversion) and Pi-Conjugated Polymers (for organic electronics). Through the design and synthesis of selected functional macromolecules this program explores the relationships between their molecular structure, morphology, and properties designed to provide a platform of fundamental knowledge and training to foster the development of next generation electrochemical energy technologies. Interest in ion-conducting polymers, particularly H+ and OH- conducting, has grown commensurately with the emergence of electrochemical energy conversion technologies (e.g., fuel cells, electrolyzers, redox flow batteries, solar fuel devices). Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer, for which the polymer chains organize to provide ionic channels in thin films, is the quintessential proton-conducting polymer; but it has significant, well-known shortcomings. In the corollary case of alkaline media, polymers employed for hydroxide-transporting membranes typically possess quaternary ammonium groups covalently bonded to a polymer backbone, but the stability of these groups is poor in highly alkaline solutions. An important development in the evolution of polymer films for emerging electrochemical technologies involves exploring strategies that couple the ease-of-processing characteristics of polymers with the formation of long range order in the solid state to promote ionic transport. In the case of anion transporting materials the complexity of designing organic polymers that are stable to caustic environments is an additional challenge. The primary objective of this program of research is the exploration of synthetic strategies towards the design of novel ion-containing polymers that can be used to further understand how molecular structure controls polymer morphology and, in turn, how the morphology facilitates ion-transport in the context of developing durable solid polymer electrolytes. Sub-projects within this program address the structural control of hydrocarbon-based, proton- and hydroxide-conducting polymers, and builds on two very different oligomeric building blocks recently developed in our laboratory. In addition, in the context of developing a program in solid polymer electrolytes, we will develop an interdisciplinary field of photoelectrochemistry at pi-conjugated polymer electrodes. This program is aimed at investigating a strategy involving polymer synthesis, electrochemistry, and photoelectrochemistry of pi-conjugated polymers in solid polymer electrolytes, with the future goal of liberating hydrogen from solar-irradiated organic films.