Fullerene containing composite membranes

• US 20070003807A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Wang, Hengbin, Jousselme, Bruno, Tasaki, Ken, Wudl, Fred, Stucky, Galen, Venkatesan, Arunkumar, Desousa, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/435,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20070003807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/447.200
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/26 Electrical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0044 by chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/00793 Dispersing a component, e.g. as particles or powder, in another component
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/14111 with nanoscale dispersed material, e.g. nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/0212 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/82 characterised by the presence of specified groups, e.g. introduced by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/122 Ionic conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1016 characterised by the electrolyte material H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A membrane/film casting method for fabricating composite membranes/films, and the produced composite membranes/films thereby fabricated, from a host polymer and a fullerene, often with the mixing of the host polymer and fullerene further promoted by a poly(ethylene oxide) attached fullerene mixing agent.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a fullerene composite membrane, comprising the steps:

a) a fullerene is dissolved in a first solvent producing a first solution;

b) a polymer is dissolved in a second solvent producing a second solution;

c) said first and said second solutions are mixed together producing a third solution; and

d) said third solution is cast to generate the composite membrane.

2. A method according to claim 1, where said first and said second solvents are identical.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the composite membrane is a proton conducting membrane.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fullerene is C₆₀.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fullerene comprises a chemically functionalized fullerene.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fullerene comprises a combination of C₆₀ and a chemically functionalized fullerene.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fullerene comprises a combination of more than one chemically functionalized fullerene.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said polymer comprises a proton conducting membrane.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said polymer comprises a perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid in which perfluoro sulfonic acid chains are attached to perfluoroethylene polymer as side chains.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said polymer comprises a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonyl fluoride in acid or ionomer form.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said polymer comprises NAFION in acid or ionomer form.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first solvent is selected from a group consisting of dimethyl acetamide, a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and an aromatic carbon solvent, and a chlorinated aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said first solvent is selected from a group consisting of dimethyl acetamide, a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and an aromatic carbon solvent, and a chlorinated aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first solvent is selected from a group consisting of dimethyl acetamide, a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and an aromatic carbon solvent, and a chlorinated aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said NAFION.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second solvents are both dimethyl acetamide.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second solvents are both dimethyl formamide.

17. A method according to claim 9, wherein said first and said second solvents are both dimethyl acetamide.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first and said second solvents are both dimethyl acetamide.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first solvent is selected from a group consisting of dimethyl acetamide, a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and an aromatic carbon solvent, and a chlorinated aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide.

20. A method according to claim 11, the said first and said second solvents are both dimethyl formamide.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first solvent is a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and an aromatic carbon solvent.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first solvent is a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and a solvent selected from a group consisting of a chloro aromatic carbon solvent and ortho-dichlorobenzene.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first solvent is a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and a solvent selected from a group consisting of dichlorobenzene and ortho-dichlorobenzene.

24. A method according to claim 9, wherein said first solvent is an aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid.

25. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first solvent is an aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said NAFION.

26. A method according to claim 9, wherein said first solvent is a chloro aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid.

27. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first solvent is a chloro aromatic carbon solvent and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said NAFION.

28. A method according to claim 11, wherein said first solvent is a mixture of dimethyl acetamide and di-chloro benzene and said second solvent is dimethyl acetamide for said NAFION.

29. A method according to claim 1, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said polymer, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

30. A method according to claim 9, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more of ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

31. A method according to claim 11, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said NAFION, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more of ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

32. A method according to claim 12, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said polymer, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more of ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

33. A method according to claim 13, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more of ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

34. A method according to claim 14, wherein PEOC₆₀ is added to facilitate mixing of said fullerene with said NAFION, wherein said PEOC₆₀ is C₆₀ attached to one or more of ethylene oxide chains, wherein the number of ethylene oxide units in each said chain is one or more.

35. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 1.

36. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 9.

37. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 11.

38. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 12.

39. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 13.

40. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 14.

41. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and a said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 29.

42. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 30.

43. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 31.

44. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 32.

45. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 33.

46. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a functionalized fullerene and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 34.

47. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 1.

48. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 9.

49. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 11.

50. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 12.

51. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 13.

52. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 14.

53. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 29.

54. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 30.

55. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 31.

56. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said polymer, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 32.

57. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5, and said perfluoro polymer sulfonic acid, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 33.

58. A proton conducting membrane comprised of a cyano fullerene, C₆₀H(CN)_n, with n=1 to 5) and said NAFION, wherein the membrane is fabricated by the method in claim 34.