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Proton-Sweeping Role of Oligomeric Electrolyte Chains Grown on Silica Nanospheres

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Xinhui Zhang ,
Liang Hong  and
Zhaolin Liu
Xinhui Zhang
Affiliation:
g0403152@nus.edu.sg, National University of Singapore, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, N/A, N/A, Singapore, +65-65163910
Liang Hong
Affiliation:
chehongl@nus.edu.sg, National University of Singapore, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, N/A, N/A, Singapore
Zhaolin Liu
Affiliation:
zl-liu@imre.a-star.edu.sg, Institute of Materials Research & Engineering, 3 Research Link, Singapore, N/A, N/A, Singapore
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Abstract

Oligomeric ionmer-grafted silica nanoparticles were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and applied to dope Nafion to investigate proton-sweeping effect of these hybrid nanoparticles. Two types of vinyl monomers, sulfopropyl acrylate, potassium (SPA) and N,N’-methyl-(6-hexylcarbamatoethylmethacrylate) imidazolonium bromide (EMACI), were employed to construct the grafted ionmer chains. The ionmer-grafted silica particles present a thick polymer layer surrounding the SiO2 core according to TEM investigation. The DSC analysis shows that the grafted ionmer oligomers (DP < 10) exhibit a stronger ionic attractive interaction than the corresponding long chain counterparts. The other structural characterizations of the ionmer-grafted SiO2 nanoparticles also include FT-IR and EDX. The most interesting feature of the grafted ionmer shrub lies in its proton-conduction enhancing effect when combined with Nafion® polymer. A series of such composite membranes were prepared through dispersing the ionmer-grafted SiO2 nanoparticles in Nafion solution and followed by casting. The grafted copolymer (SPA-co-EMACI) demonstrated a greater promoting effect on proton conduction than its homopolymer counterparts of either (SPA) or (EMACI) in the matrix of Nafion. This outcome could be attributed to the adjacent proton-sweeping effect of the pendant imidazolonium group.

Keywords

polymerizationnanoscalecore/shell
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 923: Symposium V – Structure and Dynamics of Charged Macromolecules at Solid-Liquid Interfaces , 2006 , 0923-V05-08
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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