Triptycene-Based Ladder Polymers for Gas Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polymeric membranes for gas separation face a trade-off between permeability and selectivity, with increased permeability often coming at the expense of selectivity, hindering their commercial use in applications like O2/N2, CO2/CH4, and H2/CH4 separations.
Innovation Solution
Development of triptycene-based A-B monomers and ladder polymers that allow for high molecular weight synthesis without strict stoichiometric control, incorporating a triptycene moiety for intrinsic microporosity, high thermal stability, and solubility, leading to membranes with enhanced permeability and selectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional polymeric membranes are used for gas separation, then selectivity is maintained, but permeability is limited due to the trade-off relationship
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) with rigid, wholly-fused ring backbones that prevent efficient chain packing, creating inherent microporosity. This porous structure enables high gas permeability while maintaining selectivity through the controlled free volume and micropore architecture, resolving the traditional permeability-selectivity trade-off
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines rigid aromatic monomers with specific functional groups to create composite polymer structures that integrate both microporosity for permeability and selective interaction sites for gas separation. The multifunctional monomers incorporate diverse chemical moieties that work synergistically to achieve both high flux and selectivity
2Quantity of substance
If thermal treatment is applied to introduce microporosity, then gas permeability increases, but the membrane formation process becomes complex and films become insoluble and brittle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates microporosity directly into the polymer backbone structure during synthesis, eliminating the need for subsequent thermal treatment steps. The rigid, pre-designed molecular architecture inherently creates free volume and micropores, simplifying the membrane formation process to a single casting step while maintaining high permeability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental molecular parameters of the polymer backbone by using rigid, wholly-fused ring structures with sites of contortion that prevent chain packing. This structural parameter change inherently creates microporosity without requiring thermal processing, avoiding the complexity and brittleness issues associated with thermal treatment
3Quantity of substance
If conventional ladder-type PIMs are prepared with tetrahedral spiro-carbon centers, then microporosity is generated, but selectivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces specific functional groups and aromatic moieties at localized positions within the polymer backbone that provide selective interaction sites for gas molecules. These local chemical features are incorporated into the rigid ladder structure, allowing the material to maintain its microporous architecture for permeability while adding selective recognition capabilities through localized functional groups
4Productivity
If high permeability is achieved through microporosity, then gas flux increases, but selectivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a hierarchical porous structure with controlled micropore sizes that enable high gas flux through the membrane while the specific pore dimensions and chemical environment maintain selective separation. The rigid ladder polymer structure provides a stable, tunable porous framework that simultaneously enhances permeability and preserves selectivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The triptycene-based ladder polymers demonstrate unprecedented gas separation performance, transcending previous upper bounds in applications such as air separation, hydrogen recovery, and natural gas sweetening, with high permeability and selectivity, reducing energy consumption and cross-over of valuable gases.
Implementation Method 1
Gas separation is an emerging technology with a rapidly developing market comprising applications like air separation for oxygen or nitrogen enrichment
Implementation Method 2
high solubility in common organic solvents (key to forming membranes for gas separation applications)
Implementation Method 3
introducing microporosity, considered by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to encompass pores less than 20 Å
Implementation Method 4
This results in inefficient packing of chains in the solid state, trapping free volume and thus generating microporosity inherent to the polymer
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a triptycene-based ladder polymer, a method of making a triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of using triptycene-based ladder polymers, a structure incorporating triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of gas separation, and the like.