GOALI: Advanced NMR Studies of Fluoropolymers

技术摘要：这项由材料研究司聚合物项目和数学和物理科学理事会多学科活动办公室资助的提案的主要重点是应用最先进的多维核磁共振（NMR）方法来表征商业上重要的含氟聚合物。在过去的十年中，雕刻激发方法已经发展到解决广谱窗口和大型质子nD-NMR数据集收集的问题。这些能力现在是最先进仪器的一个特点。这些核磁共振方法的适用性将被证明用于研究杜邦正在开发的重要含氟聚合物结构中的氟。待研究的材料包括：Nafion®氟化离聚体或其前体（用作燃料电池中的质子交换膜）；Krytox®全氟（聚烷基醚）（用作计算机磁盘驱动器和航空航天应用中的高性能润滑剂）；Tedlar®聚氟乙烯（用于建筑和极端环境的高性能涂料）；以及Teflon-AF®和Viton®氟弹性体（用于需要氟化材料的独特性能和惰性的其他应用）。阿克伦大学（UA）核磁共振组和杜邦中心研发组（DCRD）的独特专业知识和资源是该项目成功的关键。UA集团在将nD-NMR应用于聚合物表征方面拥有多年的经验。DCRD小组提供了许多具有科学和商业意义的有趣的聚合物结构问题，提供了获得含氟聚合物合成和表征设施的途径，并具有了解所研究材料的聚合物化学的必要专业知识。与工业伙伴的合作确保成果将应用于商业上的重大问题。非技术总结：这项涉及阿克伦大学和杜邦科学家合作的提案的主要重点是应用最先进的核磁共振（NMR）方法来研究杜邦正在开发的具有重要商业意义的含氟聚合物的结构。要研究的材料包括：用于构建燃料电池的Nafion®含氟聚合物；Krytox®含氟聚合物，用作计算机磁盘驱动器和航空航天应用中的润滑剂；Tedlar®含氟聚合物，用于建筑中的高性能涂料和极端环境中的保护；Teflon-AF®和Viton®氟弹性体，用于需要其独特性能和惰性的应用。与杜邦公司的合作将确保在基础科学水平上对相关问题进行研究，其结果将具有商业意义。在这个项目中培养的许多学生毕业后将继续把他们的知识应用到聚合物科学和相关领域的研究中。UA研究小组独特的核磁共振专业知识对行业非常重要，因为它是该国唯一专注于聚合物科学中先进溶液核磁共振研究的学术小组。此外，许多公司和大学的研究人员都利用UA的独特能力来解决困难的研究问题。这一重要资源将通过一个强大的核磁共振研究小组的持续资助来维持。最初分配到这个项目的学生都来自代表性不足的群体。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The main focus of this proposal, funded by the Polymers Program of the Division of Materials Research and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, is to apply state-of-the-art multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to the characterization of commercially important fluoropolymers. Over the past decade, sculpted excitation methods have been developed to tackle problems with broad spectral windows and collection of large proton nD-NMR datasets. These capabilities are now a feature of state-of-the-art instruments. The applicability of these NMR methods will be demonstrated for studying fluorine in the structures of important fluoropolymers being developed by DuPont. The materials to be studied include: Nafion® fluorinated ionomer or its precursor (used as proton exchange membranes in fuel cells); Krytox® perfluoro(polyalkyl ether) (used as performance lubricants in computer disk drives and aerospace applications); Tedlar® poly(vinyl fluoride) (used in high performance coatings for protection in architectural and extreme environments); and Teflon-AF® and Viton® fluoroelastomer (used in other applications requiring the unique properties and inertness of fluorinated materials). The unique expertise and resources present in the University of Akron (UA) NMR group and the groups at DuPont Central Research & Development (DCRD) are keys to the success of this project. The UA group has years of experience in applying nD-NMR to the characterization of polymers. The DCRD groups provides many interesting polymer structure problems having scientific and commercial significance, provide access to fluoropolymer synthesis and characterization facilities, and have expertise essential for understanding the polymer chemistry of the materials to be studied. The collaboration with an industrial partner assures that the results will be applied to commercially significant problems.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The main focus of this proposal involving collaboration between U. Akron and DuPont scientists is to apply state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to study the structures of commercially important fluoropolymers being developed by DuPont. The materials to be studied include: Nafion® fluoropolymers, used in the construction of fuel cells); Krytox® fluoropolymers, which are used as lubricants in computer disk drives and in aerospace applications; Tedlar® fluoropolymers, which are used in high performance coatings in architecture and for protection in extreme environments; and Teflon-AF® and Viton® fluoroelastomers, which are used in applications requiring their unique properties and inertness. This collaboration with Dupont will assure that relevant problems will be studied at a fundamental scientific level and that the results will have commercial implications. After graduation, many of the students trained in this project will continue to apply their knowledge to studies in polymer science and related fields. The specific NMR expertise unique to the UA research group is important to industry, as it is the only academic group in the country to focus on advanced solution NMR studies in polymer science. Additionally, researchers at many companies and universities have made use of the unique capabilities at the UA to solve difficult research problems. This important resource will be maintained through continued funding of a strong NMR research group. The students to be initially assigned to this project are all from underrepresented groups.