Nanocomposite membranes consisting of poly(vinyl chloride) graft copolymer and surface-modified silica nanoparticles

作者：Ahn Sung Hoon; Park Jung Tae; Kim Jong Hak^*; Ko Youngdeok; Hong Seong Uk

来源：Macromolecular Research, 2011, 19(11): 1195-1201.

DOI：10.1007/s13233-011-1116-1

• graft copolymer
• nanoparticle
• nanocomposite
• atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)
• gas separation

A graft copolymer of poly(vinyl chloride)-graft-poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) (PVC-g-POEM) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and fumed silica (SiO(2)) nanoparticles were modified by grafting POEM via a three-step synthetic approach. The resultant graft copolymer and modified SiO(2) nanoparticles were solution blended to prepare PVC-g-POEM/SiO(2)-POEM nanocomposite membranes. Uniform distribution of SiO(2)-POEM nanoparticles in the membranes and microphase-separated morphology were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed increased randomness in the amorphous phase of PVC-g-POEM and continuous decrease in the interchain d-spacing with increased SiO(2)-POEM content, indicating a more closely packed nanocomposite membrane structure. The mechanical properties of PVC-g-POEM/SiO(2)-POEM membranes were superior to those of PVC-g-POEM, resulting from strong interfacial interactions in the membranes due to the segregation and entanglement of the POEM chains. In addition, the permeation performances of the PVC-g-POEM/SiO(2)-POEM nanocomposite membranes were somewhat better than those of PVC-g-POEM, which showed excellent CO(2)/N(2) and CO(2)/H(2) separation capabilities. For example, the CO(2) permeability and CO(2)/N(2) selectivity of PVC-g-POEM/SiO(2)-POEM (2%) at 35 A degrees C were 200 Barrer and 43, respectively. Thus, we successfully prepared membranes that deliver high permeation properties, as well as good mechanical properties.

• 出版日期2011-11