Morphological Tailoring and Properties of Perfluorinated Ionomer/Inorganic Oxide Nanocomposites

独特的全氟有机/无机氧化物杂化材料将通过合并最近开发的全氟磺酸离聚物（PFSI）的溶液和熔体加工工艺，以及在PFSI极性团簇内通过原位溶胶-凝胶反应对硅和金属烷氧化物生产纳米复合材料的工艺而制成。工作假设是，无机相的最终形态是由PFSI基体的纳米相分离形态有序的。在本研究中，PFSI所呈现的三维形态模板将通过操纵初级聚合物结构、聚合物溶液条件、薄膜浇铸工艺和后处理（如干燥、退火、熔融淬火、机械取向）来定制。纳米复合材料的微观结构将被广泛表征，范围从光微观分辨率到埃级，使用各种微观、散射、衍射和光谱方法。对这些材料的机械、热、介电/电导和气体渗透特性的研究将产生结构-性能关系。预计无机相的渗透性质将产生“智能”材料，作为温度和压力传感器。定向纳米复合材料应具有定向的力学、热学和电学性能。通过与政府（桑迪亚，橡树岭）和工业（陶氏化学公司）实验室的密切合作，微观结构研究的范围将大大扩大。这项研究的目的是生产一种新材料，这种材料应该在相当苛刻的条件下充当气体透选膜，这在各种分离中都是有用的。这项研究是与电力研究所合作进行的。

Unique perfluoro-organic/inorganic oxide hybrid materials will be formulated by merging processes recently developed for the solution and melt processing of perfluorosulfonate ionomers (PFSI's) and the production of nanocomposites by the in situ sol-gel reaction for silicon and metal alkoxides within the polar clusters of PFSI's. The working hypothesis is that the resultant morphology of the inorganic phase is ordered by the nanophase-separated morphology of the PFSI matrix. In this research, the three-dimensional morphological template presented by the PFSI will be tailored by manipulating the primary polymer structure, polymer solution conditions, film casting procedure, and post-processing (e.g. drying, annealing, melt-quenching, mechanical orientation). The nanocomposites will be extensively characterized for microstructure broadly ranging from light microscopic resolution down to the level of Angstroms using various microscopic, scattering, diffraction, and spectroscopic methods. Structure-property relationships will result from the investigation of the mechanical, thermal, dielectric/electrical conductance and gas permeation characteristics of these materials. The percolative nature of the inorganic phase is anticipated to generate "smart" materials in the sense of acting as temperature and pressure sensors. Oriented nanocomposites should possess directional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. The scope of the microstructural investigation will be greatly broadened through strong interactions with governmental (Sandia, Oak Ridge) and industrial (Dow Chemical Co.) laboratories. This research aims to produce new materials that should be act as gas-permselective membranes under rather demanding conditions, and this be useful in a variety of separations. This research is in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute.