Polysulfones, sulfonation

Epoxy Polyimide PEEK Polyamideimide Polyetherimidc Polysulfone sulfone Polyphenylene Phenolics... 

Poly N-amideimide (UOP) Polybenzooxadinon (Bayer) Polyhidantoin (Bayer) Sulfonated polysulfone Sulfonated PPO (GE) NS-100 (North Star) ... 

Bowen, W. R., Doneva, T. A., and Yin, H. B. 2001. Polysulfone—Sulfonated poly(ether ether)ketone blend membranes Systematic synthesis and characterisation. Journal of Membrane Science 181 253-263. 

Sulfonated aromatic polymers have been widely studied as alternatives to Nafion due to potentially attractive mechanical properties, thermal and chemical stability, and commercial availability of the base aromatic polymers. Aromatic polymers studied in fuel cell apphcations include sulfonated poly(p-phenylene)s, sulfonated polysulfones, sulfonated poly(ether ether ke-tone)s (SPEEKs), sulfonated polyimides (SPIs), sulfonated polyphosphazenes, and sulfonated polybenzimidazoles. Representative chemical structures of sulfonated aromatic polymers are shown in Scheme 3. Aromatic polymers are readily sulfonated using concentrated sulfuric acid, fuming sulfuric acid, chlorosulfonic acid, or sulfur trioxide. Post-sulfonation reactions suffer from a lack of control over the degree and location of functionalization, and the... 

Arthanareeswaran, G., Mohan, D., Raajenthiren, M. (2007). Preparation and Performance of Polysulfone-Sulfonated Poly(ester ester ketone) Blend Ultrafiltration Membranes. PeaXl. Appl. Surface Sci., 253(21), 8705-8712. 

Arthanareeswaran, G., Mohan, D. and Raajenthiren, M. 2007a. Preparation and performance of polysulfone-sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) blend ultrafiltration membranes. Part I. Awl. Surf. Set 253 8705-8712. 

The composite membrane approach can also be used for membranes alternative to Nafion such as sulfonated polyetherketones and polysulfones. Sulfonated polysulfone is one of the most promising polymers for PEMs due to its low cost, commercial availability, and easy processability. Composite polysulfone-based membranes based on silica have been prepared and characterized for DMFC to extend the operating temperature up to 120 °C [16]. As an example, the following describes the preparation and characterization of a... 

Bowen, W.R., Doneva, T.A. Yin, H.B. (2001) Polysulfone - sulfonated poly(ether ether) ketone blend membranes systematic synthesis and characterisation. Journal of Membrane Science, 181 (2), 253-263. 

Keywords lonomers, fuel cells, membranes, polysulfones, sulfonation,... 

The isopropylidene linkage imparts chemical resistance, the ether linkage imparts temperature resistance, and the sulfone linkage imparts impact strength. The brittleness temperature of polysulfones is — 100°C. Polysulfones are clear, strong, nontoxic, and virtually unbreakable. They do not hydrolyze during autoclaving and are resistant to acids, bases, aqueous solutions, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and alcohols. 

The aromatic sulfone polymers are a group of high performance plastics, many of which have relatively closely related stmctures and similar properties (see Polymers containing sulfur, polysulfones). Chemically, all are polyethersulfones, ie, they have both aryl ether (ArOAr) and aryl sulfone (ArS02Ar) linkages in the polymer backbone. The simplest polyethersulfone (5) consists of aromatic rings linked alternately by ether and sulfone groups. 

The first aromatic sulfone polymer produced commercially was introduced as Bakelite polysulfone but now is sold by Union Carbide under the trade name Udel. It is made by reaction of the disodium salt of bisphenol A (BPA) with 4,4 -dichIorodiphenyl sulfone in a mixed solvent of chlorobenzene and dimethyl sulfoxide (eq. 12). 

A polysulfone is characterized by the presence of the sulfone group as part of its repeating unit. Polysulfones may be aUphatic or aromatic. AUphatic polysulfones (R and are alkyl groups) were synthesized by radical-induced copolymerization of olefins and sulfur dioxide and characterized many years ago. However, they never demonstrated significant practical utiUty due to their relatively unattractive physical properties, not withstanding the low cost of their raw materials (1,2). The polysulfones discussed in this article are those based on an aromatic backbone stmcture. The term polysulfones is used almost exclusively to denote aromatic polysulfones. 

As a variation on the base-catalyzed nucleopbilic displacement chemistry described, polysulfones and other polyarylethers have been prepared by cuprous chloride-catalyzed polycondensation of aromatic dihydroxy compounds with aromatic dibromo compounds. The advantage of this route is that it does not require that the aromatic dibromo compound be activated by an electron-withdrawing group such as the sulfone group. Details of this polymerization method, known as the Ullmaim synthesis, have been described (8). 

SolubiHty of the three commercial polysulfones foUows the order PSF > PES > PPSF. At room temperature, all three of these polysulfones as weU as the vast majority of other aromatic sulfone-based polymers can be readily dissolved in a few highly polar solvents to form stable solutions. These solvents include NMP, DMAc, pyridine, and aniline. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane are also suitable solvents but are less desirable because of their potentially harmful health effects. PSF is also readily soluble in a host of less polar solvents by virtue of its lower solubiHty parameter. 

There has been considerable research on chlorine-resistant RO membranes (48—52). A poly(/n j -2,5 dimethyl)pipera2inthiofura2anainide used in the presence of low (3 mg/L) concentrations of chlorine resulted in a membrane life of three years (48). A copolyamide hoUow-fiber membrane for use in desalination has been developed that is resistant to 0.5 mg/L chlorine (49). Millipore Corporation has also developed a sulfonated polysulfone member that has desirable chlorine-resistance properties. 

Polymerization Solvent. Sulfolane can be used alone or in combination with a cosolvent as a polymerization solvent for polyureas, polysulfones, polysUoxanes, polyether polyols, polybenzimidazoles, polyphenylene ethers, poly(l,4-benzamide) (poly(imino-l,4-phenylenecarbonyl)), sUylated poly(amides), poly(arylene ether ketones), polythioamides, and poly(vinylnaphthalene/fumaronitrile) initiated by laser (134—144). Advantages of using sulfolane as a polymerization solvent include increased polymerization rate, ease of polymer purification, better solubilizing characteristics, and improved thermal stabUity. The increased polymerization rate has been attributed not only to an increase in the reaction temperature because of the higher boiling point of sulfolane, but also to a decrease in the activation energy of polymerization as a result of the contribution from the sulfonic group of the solvent. 

The presence of polysulfonates in petroleum sulfonates used in lube formulations has a destabilizing effect on the formulation stabiUty and function of the sulfonate in motor oils, etc. Special techniques are utilized to help reduce the carryover of residual sludge components, including the use of hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane or heptane to faciUtate separation of sludge, often with centrihigation. Other desludging procedures include water wash, H2SO4 wash, clay percolation, and filtration. 

Sulfonic acids may be hydrolytically cleaved, using high temperatures and pressures, to drive the reaction to completion. As would be expected, each sulfonic acid has its own unique hydrolytic desulfonation temperature. Lower alkane sulfonic acids possess excellent hydrolytic stability, as compared to aromatic sulfonic acids which ate readily hydrolyzed. Flydrolytic desulfonation finds use in the separation of isomers of xylene sulfonic acids and other substituted mono-, di-, and polysulfonic acids. 

Sulfonic acid-based azo dyes (qv) and intermediates are characterized by the presence of one or more azo, R—N=N—R, groups. An example of a water-soluble polysulfonic acid-based azo dye (3), where M is a metal, typically Na, for use in ink-jet printers, is shown (75). 

An example of a sulfite ester made from thionyl chloride is the commercial iasecticide endosulfan [115-29-7]. A stepwise reaction of thionyl chloride with two different alcohols yields the commercial miticide, propaigite [2312-35-8] (189). Thionyl chloride also has appHcations as a co-reactant ia sulfonations and chlorosulfonations. A patent describes the use of thionyl chloride ia the preparation of a key iatermediate, bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone [80-07-9] which is used to make a commercial polysulfone engineering thermoplastic (see Polymers CONTAINING SULFUR, POLYSULFONe) (190). The sulfone group is derived from chlorosulfonic acid the thionyl chloride may be considered a co-reactant which removes water (see Sulfolanes and sulfones). 

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