Trang N. T. Phan

Single-ion BAB triblock copolymers as highly efficient electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries

Electrochemical energy storage is one of the main societal challenges of this century. The performances of classical lithium-ion technology based on liquid electrolytes have made great advances in the past two decades, but the intrinsic instability of liquid electrolytes results in safety issues. Solid polymer electrolytes would be a perfect solution to those safety issues, miniaturization and enhancement of energy density. However, as in liquids, the fraction of charge carried by lithium ions is small (<20%), limiting the power performances. Solid polymer electrolytes operate at 80 °C, resulting in poor mechanical properties and a limited electrochemical stability window. Here we describe a multifunctional single-ion polymer electrolyte based on polyanionic block copolymers comprising polystyrene segments. It overcomes most of the above limitations, with a lithium-ion transport number close to unity, excellent mechanical properties and an electrochemical stability window spanning 5 V versus Li(+)/Li. A prototype battery using this polyelectrolyte outperforms a conventional battery based on a polymer electrolyte.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Gels Functionalized with Monochlorotriazinyl β-Cyclodextrin and their Sorption Capacities towards Organic Compounds

Different supports, containing a new derivative ofβ-cyclodextrin – monochlorotriazinylβ-cyclodextrin (β-CDMCT) – used forthe reduction of pollutants in waste water, have beenprepared. They are based on silica gel, initially eithercoated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) or grafted with3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, functionalized in asecond step with β-CDMCT. In order to obtainsorbents with high β-cyclodextrin content andmaximum accessibility of the β-CD cavity, thefuntionalization was studied while varying experimentalconditions. Thermogravimetry, Raman spectroscopy,specific surface area and pore size distribution were usedfor the characterization of supports. Sorption experimentsshow that these sorbents have sorption capacities towardssome organic pollutants. The mechanism of sorption is bothphysical adsorption in the polymer network (for supportsobtained by coating) and/or the formation of an inclusioncomplex between β-CDMCT and guest molecules.

Dynamic Interactive Membranes with Pressure‐Driven Tunable Porosity and Self‐Healing Ability

When pressure is applied to dynamic interactive membranes consisting of micelles composed of a triblock copolymer, their morphologies can be fine-tuned. Membranes with a range of porosities are accessible which can regulate and thereby control filtration performance and also display effective autonomous healing.

Microstructural study of a nitroxide-mediated poly(ethylene oxide)/polystyrene block copolymer (PEO-b-PS) by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry has been used to characterize the microstructure of a nitroxide-mediated poly(ethylene oxide)/polystyrene block copolymer, called SG1-capped PEO-b-PS. The main dissociation route of co-oligomers adducted with lithium or silver cation was observed to proceed via the homolytic cleavage of a C-ON bond, aimed at undergoing reversible homolysis during nitroxide mediated polymerization. This cleavage results in the elimination of the terminal SG1 end-group as a radical, inducing a complete depolymerization process of the PS block from the so-formed radical cation. These successive eliminations of styrene molecules allowed a straightforward determination of the PS block size. An alternative fragmentation pathway of the radical cation was shown to provide structural information on the junction group between the two blocks. Proposed dissociation mechanisms were supported by accurate mass measurements. Structural information on the SG1 end-group could be reached from weak abundance fragment ions detected in the low m/z range of the MS/MS spectrum. Amongst fragments typically expected from PS dissociation, only β ions were produced. Moreover, specific dissociation of the PEO block was not observed to occur in MS/MS, suggesting that these rearrangement reactions do not compete effectively with dissociations of the odd-electron fragment ions. Information about the PEO block length and the initiated end-group were obtained in MS3 experiments.

On-line coupling of liquid chromatography at critical conditions with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the characterization of a nitroxide-mediated poly(ethylene oxide)/polystyrene block copolymer

Coupling of liquid chromatography at critical conditions (LCCC) with on-line mass spectrometry (MS) detection was implemented via an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface, using a mobile phase containing the cationizing agent. Critical conditions established for poly(ethylene oxide) were used to characterize a poly(ethylene oxide)/polystyrene block copolymer (PEO-b-PS) in both MS and MS/MS modes. As co-oligomer molecules were successfully separated according to the PS block size, structural information could be reached from simplified MS spectra. The microstructure of this copolymer, synthesized by nitroxide-mediated polymerization, could further be unambiguously characterized in LCCC/ESI-MS/MS experiments since the PS block size could be reached by both the co-oligomer chromatographic behavior and its MS/MS pattern.

The removal of organic pollutants from water using new silica-supported β-cyclodextrin derivatives

Two series of supports obtained with a methacryloyl-β-cyclodextrin derivative grafted or coated onto silica have been tested for their ability to sorb aromatic pollutants in aqueous solutions. The study of the kinetics of pollutant uptake revealed that all supports exhibit a fast rate of sorption. The adsorption isotherms were correlated with the Langmuir and Freundlich models and permit to conclude that the sorption mechanisms depend on the structure and the concentration of the pollutant. Finally, cycles of stripping and sorption were investigated in a column system to evaluate the stability of the sorption properties.

Tuning block copolymer structural information by adjusting salt concentration in liquid chromatography at critical conditions coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Different cationic adducts of poly(ethylene oxide)/polystyrene block co-oligomers could be produced by adjusting the salt concentration in the mobile phase using a coupling between liquid chromatography at critical conditions and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Formation of doubly lithiated adducts was observed at high LiCl concentration (1 mM) while lowering the salt concentration down to 0.1 mM allowed co-oligomers to be ionized with both a proton and a lithium. The fragmentation pathways observed to occur upon collision-induced dissociation of ionized copolymers were shown to be highly dependent on the nature of the cationic adducts. As a result, complementary structural information could be reached by performing MS/MS experiments on different ionic forms of the same co-oligomer molecule. On one hand, release of the nitroxide end-group as a radical from [M+2Li](2+) was followed by a complete depolymerization of the polystyrene block, allowing both this end-group and the polystyrene segment size to be determined. On the other hand, [M+H+Li](2+) precursor ions mainly dissociated via reactions involving bond cleavages within the nitroxide moiety, yielding useful structural information on this end-group.

New silica gels functionalized with 2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin using coating or grafting methods

The synthesis of a large range of supports based on silica functionalized by a new derivative of β-cyclodextrin, 2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (βCDMAHP monomer), is described. Two methods of reaction were chosen: (1) coating via a radical polymerization of the βCDMAHP monomer (E1 series) and (2) radical grafting after silanization of silica using γ-methacryloyltrimethoxysilane (G1 series). As a preliminary step, a detailed spectroscopic characterization of the βCDMAHP was undertaken. Subsequently, within the two approaches, the experimental conditions were varied in order to investigate the effect on the βCD content in the functionalized supports. The changes in the porosity of the silica were also analysed. Finally, a comparison of the two methods is discussed, bearing in mind that these sorbents are to be used for water decontamination applications.

Improved compositional analysis of block copolymers using diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy.

Block copolymers constitute a fascinating class of polymeric materials that are used in a broad range of applications. The performance of these materials is highly coupled to the physical and chemical properties of the constituting block copolymers. Traditionally, the composition of block copolymers is obtained by 1H NMR spectroscopy on purified copolymer fractions. Specifically, the integrals of a properly selected set of 1H resonances are compared and used to infer the number average molecular weight (M(n)) of one of the block from the (typically known) M(n) value of the other. As a corollary, compositional determinations achieved on imperfectly purified samples lead to serious errors, especially when isolation of the block copolymer from the initial macro initiator is tedious. This investigation shows that Diffusion Ordered NMR Spectroscopy (DOSY) can be used to provide a way to assess the advancement degree of the copolymerization purification/reaction, in order to optimize it and hence contribute to an improved compositional analysis of the resulting copolymer. To this purpose, a series of amphiphilic polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers, obtained by controlled free-radical nitroxide mediated polymerization, were analyzed and it is shown that, under proper experimental conditions, DOSY allows for an improved compositional analysis of these block copolymers.

Molecular Weight Determination of Block Copolymers by Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo NMR

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is the technique of choice to achieve molecular weight data for synthetic polymers. Because the success of a MALDI-MS analysis critically depends on a proper matrix and cation selection, which in turn relates closely to the polymer chemical nature and size, prior estimation of the polymer size range strongly helps in rationalizing MALDI sample preparation. We recently showed how pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) nuclear magnetic resonance could be used as an advantageous alternative to size exclusion chromatography, to rationalize MALDI sample preparation and confidently interpret MALDI mass spectra for homopolymers. Our aim here is to extend this methodology to the demanding case of amphiphilic block copolymers, for which obtaining prior estimates on the Mw values appears as an even more stringent prerequisite. Specifically, by studying poly(ethylene oxide) polystyrene block copolymers of distinct molecular weights and relative block weight fractions, we show how PGSE data can be used to derive the block Mw values. In contrast to homopolymers, such determination requires not only properly recorded calibration curves for each of the polymers constituting the block copolymers but also an appropriate hydrodynamic model to correctly interpret the diffusion data.