Dynameric Membranes for Gas Separation: Achieving the Molecular Limit of Constitutional Gaz-Dynamer Interactions

Dynameric membranes for gas separation: achieving the molecular limit of constitutional gaz-dynamer interactions

Thomas Macron, Gihane Nasr,  Mihail Barboiu

Adaptative SupramolecularNanosystems, Institut Européen des Membranes -UMR CNRS 5635, Place Eugène Bataillon, CC 047, F-34095 Montpellier, France.

E-mail: barboiu@iemm.univ-montp2.fr

Dynamic polymers “dynamers” are able of undergoing dynamic exchange, incorporation or decorporation of their monomeric subunits, linked together by reversible covalent bonds [1,2]. Compared with a physical mixture of classical polymers, the mixtures of dynamers give access to new homogenous species presenting controllable modulation of their structure at molecular level in response to external stimuli or experimental conditions. For all these reasons, functional dynamic polymers may be used to optimally conceive different sets of “dynameric membranes”.

In this work we introduce the self standing dynameric membranes for gas separation. Our efforts involved the synthesis and the fabrication of self-supported dynameric films, by varying the internal composition of the membrane and we have proven that dynameric membranes are good candidates for CO₂ separation .These films are formed by reversible imine bonds between a dialdehyde and a variable composition of the homo bifunctional polymer amine terminated with different lenghts (Mn=350 or 1100, linear form) and the cross linking polymer homotrifunctional polymer amine terminated (Mn=440, star form) macromolecular components. This allows regulating the free volume of self-organized domains at molecular level within membranes.

The gas permeation results will be presented for the membrane trasport of O2, N2, CO2, CH4 and the structure-properties correlations will be discussed.

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