Issue 104, 2014

Novel nanostructured semicrystalline ionomers by chemoselective sulfonation of multiblock copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene with polybutadiene

Abstract

Novel semi-crystalline sulfonated copolymers (sPS(B-SA)) have been synthesized by sulfonation of multiblock copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene with cis-1,4-polybutadiene (sPSB), using a two-stage solution process comprising the addition of thiolacetic acid to the butadiene units, followed by the in situ oxidation of the thioacetyl moieties with performic acid. The sulfonation process is quantitative, chemoselective, cheap and more environmentally benign than similar methods previously reported; in addition it allows achieving high ion exchange capacity values (up to 4.48 equiv. per kg). The sPS(B-SA)s are crystalline, preserving the native polymorphic behavior of the crystalline syndiotactic polystyrene segments. Thin films of sPS(B-SA) samples show a phase separated morphology at the nanometer scale evidenced by tapping mode and tunneling current atomic force microscopy; proton conductive regions embedded in a hard-hydrophobic matrix of syndiotactic polystyrene were actually observed.

Graphical abstract: Novel nanostructured semicrystalline ionomers by chemoselective sulfonation of multiblock copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene with polybutadiene

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Aug 2014
Accepted
05 Nov 2014
First published
05 Nov 2014

RSC Adv., 2014,4, 60158-60167

Novel nanostructured semicrystalline ionomers by chemoselective sulfonation of multiblock copolymers of syndiotactic polystyrene with polybutadiene

A. Buonerba, V. Speranza, P. Canton, C. Capacchione, S. Milione and A. Grassi, RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 60158 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA13253J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements