Modified sulfonated block copolymers and the preparation thereof
First Claim
1. A membrane or film comprising a modified sulfonated block copolymer, the modified sulfonated block copolymer comprising at least two polymer end blocks A, at least one polymer interior block B, and one or more blocks D whereineach A block contains no sulfonic acid or sulfonate functional groups and comprise one or more segments selected from polymerized (i) para-substituted styrene monomers, (ii) ethylene, (iii) alpha olefins of 3 to 18 carbon atoms;
- (iv) 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof;
each B block comprises sulfonation susceptible monomer units comprising segments of one or more vinyl aromatic monomers selected from polymerized (i) unsubstituted styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vi) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (vii) mixtures thereof and, based on the number of the sulfonation susceptible monomer units, from about 10 to about 100 mol % of a modified functional group of formula (I)
—
SO2—
NR1R2
(I)or of a salt thereof, whereinR1 is a moiety -(A1-NRa)xRb or a moiety -(A1-NRa)y-A2-Z; and
R2 is hydrogen, alkyl, or is one of the R1 moieties;
orR1 and R2 together with the nitrogen to which they are bonded form an optionally substituted 5- to 7-membered ring comprising 1-3 nitrogen atoms, 2-6 carbon, and optionally 1 or 2 non-adjacent oxygen and/or sulfur ring atoms;
x is 0, 1, 2 or 3;
y is 1 or 2;
A1 and A2, each independently, is straight chain alkylene optionally substituted by one or more methyl and/or ethyl groups;
Ra and Rb, each independently, is hydrogen or alkyl;
Z is —
CO2H, —
SO3H or —
P(O)(OH)3; and
each D block being independently selected from the group consisting of (i) a polymerized or copolymerized conjugated diene selected from isoprene, and 1,3-butadiene, the polymerized conjugated diene having a vinyl content prior to hydrogenation of between 20 and 80 mol percent, (ii) a polymerized acrylate monomer, (iii) a silicon polymer, (iv) polymerized isobutylene and (v) mixtures thereof, wherein any segments containing polymerized 1,3-butadiene or isoprene are subsequently hydrogenated, and wherein the modified sulfonated block copolymer has a general configuration A-D-B-D-A, A-B-D-B-A, (A-D-B)nX, (A-B-D)nX or mixtures thereof, where n is an integer from 2 to about 30, and X is a coupling agent residue and wherein each D block is a polymer block resistant to sulfonation and the plurality of A blocks, B blocks, or D blocks are the same or different; and
wherein the said membranes exhibit a conductivity of at least 0.5 mS/cm and wherein the dry tensile modulus of the modified sulfonated block copolymer is 10% to 99% of the dry tensile modulus of a corresponding unmodified sulfonated block copolymer that has sulfonic acid or sulfonate ester groups instead of the modified functional group.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are modified sulfonated block copolymers which comprise at least two polymer end blocks A and at least one polymer interior block B, wherein each A block contains essentially no sulfonic acid or sulfonate functional groups and each B block comprises sulfonation susceptible monomer units and, based on the number of the sulfonation susceptible monomer units, from about 10 to about 100 mol % of a functional group of formula (I)
—SO2—NR1R2 (I)
or of a salt thereof, methods of making them as well as methods of using them, e.g., as membrane materials for electrically or osmotically driven applications.
138 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A membrane or film comprising a modified sulfonated block copolymer, the modified sulfonated block copolymer comprising at least two polymer end blocks A, at least one polymer interior block B, and one or more blocks D wherein
each A block contains no sulfonic acid or sulfonate functional groups and comprise one or more segments selected from polymerized (i) para-substituted styrene monomers, (ii) ethylene, (iii) alpha olefins of 3 to 18 carbon atoms; - (iv) 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof;
each B block comprises sulfonation susceptible monomer units comprising segments of one or more vinyl aromatic monomers selected from polymerized (i) unsubstituted styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vi) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (vii) mixtures thereof and, based on the number of the sulfonation susceptible monomer units, from about 10 to about 100 mol % of a modified functional group of formula (I)
—
SO2—
NR1R2
(I)or of a salt thereof, wherein R1 is a moiety -(A1-NRa)xRb or a moiety -(A1-NRa)y-A2-Z; and R2 is hydrogen, alkyl, or is one of the R1 moieties;
orR1 and R2 together with the nitrogen to which they are bonded form an optionally substituted 5- to 7-membered ring comprising 1-3 nitrogen atoms, 2-6 carbon, and optionally 1 or 2 non-adjacent oxygen and/or sulfur ring atoms; x is 0, 1, 2 or 3; y is 1 or 2; A1 and A2, each independently, is straight chain alkylene optionally substituted by one or more methyl and/or ethyl groups; Ra and Rb, each independently, is hydrogen or alkyl; Z is —
CO2H, —
SO3H or —
P(O)(OH)3; andeach D block being independently selected from the group consisting of (i) a polymerized or copolymerized conjugated diene selected from isoprene, and 1,3-butadiene, the polymerized conjugated diene having a vinyl content prior to hydrogenation of between 20 and 80 mol percent, (ii) a polymerized acrylate monomer, (iii) a silicon polymer, (iv) polymerized isobutylene and (v) mixtures thereof, wherein any segments containing polymerized 1,3-butadiene or isoprene are subsequently hydrogenated, and wherein the modified sulfonated block copolymer has a general configuration A-D-B-D-A, A-B-D-B-A, (A-D-B)nX, (A-B-D)nX or mixtures thereof, where n is an integer from 2 to about 30, and X is a coupling agent residue and wherein each D block is a polymer block resistant to sulfonation and the plurality of A blocks, B blocks, or D blocks are the same or different; and wherein the said membranes exhibit a conductivity of at least 0.5 mS/cm and wherein the dry tensile modulus of the modified sulfonated block copolymer is 10% to 99% of the dry tensile modulus of a corresponding unmodified sulfonated block copolymer that has sulfonic acid or sulfonate ester groups instead of the modified functional group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- (iv) 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof;
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20. A membrane or film comprising a modified sulfonated block copolymer, the modified sulfonated block copolymer comprising at least two polymer end blocks A, at least one polymer interior block B, and one or more blocks D wherein each A block contains essentially no sulfonic acid or sulfonate functional groups and comprise one or more segments selected from polymerized (i) para-substituted styrene monomers, (ii) ethylene, (iii) alpha olefins of 3 to 18 carbon atoms;
- (iv) 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof;
each B block comprises sulfonation susceptible monomer units comprising segments of one or more vinyl aromatic monomers selected from polymerized (i) unsubstituted styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vi) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (vii) mixtures thereof and, based on the number of the sulfonation susceptible monomer units, from about 10 to about 100 mol % of a modified functional group of formula (I)
—
SO2—
NR1R2
(I)or of a salt thereof, wherein R1 is a moiety -(A1-NRa)xRb or a moiety -(A1-NRa)y-A2-Z; and R2 is hydrogen, alkyl, or is one of the R1 moieties;
orR1 and R2 together with the nitrogen to which they are bonded form an optionally substituted 5- to 7-membered ring comprising 1-3 nitrogen atoms, 2-6 carbon, and optionally 1 or 2 non-adjacent oxygen and/or sulfur ring atoms; x is 0, 1, 2 or 3; y is 1 or 2 A1 and A2, each independently, is straight chain alkylene optionally substituted by one or more methyl and/or ethyl groups; Ra and Rb, each independently, is hydrogen or alkyl; Z is —
CO2H, —
SO3H or —
P(O)(OH)3;each D block being independently selected from the group consisting of (i) a polymerized or copolymerized conjugated diene selected from isoprene, and 1,3-butadiene, the polymerized conjugated diene having a vinyl content prior to hydrogenation of between 20 and 80 mol percent, (ii) a polymerized acrylate monomer, (iii) a silicon polymer, (iv) polymerized isobutylene and (v) mixtures thereof, wherein any segments containing polymerized 1,3-butadiene or isoprene are subsequently hydrogenated, and wherein the modified sulfonated block copolymer has a general configuration A-D-B-D-A, A-B-D-B-A, (A-D-B)nX, (A-B-D)nX or mixtures thereof, where n is an integer from 2 to about 30, and X is a coupling agent residue and wherein each D block is a polymer block resistant to sulfonation and the plurality of A blocks, B blocks, or D blocks are the same or different; and wherein the modified sulfonated block copolymer has a water vapor transport rate ranging from about 1,000 to 20,000 g/m2/day, wherein the water vapor transport rate is measured at 50% relative humidity and 25°
C. with a test membrane having 1 m2 of exposed area and 1 mil of thickness, and wherein the dry tensile modulus of the modified sulfonated block copolymer is 10% to 99% of the dry tensile modulus of a corresponding unmodified sulfonated block copolymer that has sulfonic acid or sulfonate ester groups instead of the modified functional group. - View Dependent Claims (21)
- (iv) 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof;
Specification