2004 journal article

Highly CO2-permeable and -selective membranes derived from crossfinked poly(ethylene glycol) and its nanocomposites

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 14(7), 699–707.

By: N. Patel n, A. Miller n & R. Spontak n

co-author countries: United States of America 🇺🇸
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

Abstract Crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGda) oligomers differing in molecular weight, and their nanocomposites prepared with up to 10 wt.‐% methacrylate‐functionalized fumed silica (FS) or an organically‐modified nanoclay, have been examined as amorphous CO 2 ‐selective membranes. These novel materials have been characterized by dynamic rheology before and after crosslinking to ascertain the effect of incorporated FS on mechanical properties. The permeabilities of CO 2 , H 2 , N 2 , and O 2 have been measured as functions of PEGda molecular weight, nanofiller content and temperature. In all cases, CO 2 displays relatively high permeability, coupled with high CO 2 selectivity, due to the specific interaction between quadrupolar CO 2 and the ether linkages along the PEG backbone, and the accompanying enhancement in CO 2 solubility. Variable‐temperature permeation exhibits Arrhenius behavior, and the activation energy for CO 2 permeation is found to be i) markedly lower than that of any of the other gases examined, and ii) independent of both PEGda molecular weight and nanofiller content.