Browsing by Author "Mitov, Svetlin"

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    In-situ radiation grafting of polymer films and degradation studies of monomers for applications in fuel cell membranes
    (2007) Mitov, Svetlin; Roduner, Emil (Prof. Dr.)
    The present work consists of three parts which deal with the optimization of the properties of polymers finding application as proton exchange membranes in PEMFCs. The focus is the oxidative and photochemical stability of non-fluorinated polymer membranes, as well as the radiation-induced grafting of commercially available fluoropolymer films. The use of the ESR technique is common for the first two parts of the dissertation. The third part comprises the results and discussions of DFT calculations for non-fluorinated and fluorinated fragments. In order to predict hydroxyl radical initiated degradation of new proton conducting polymer membranes based on sulfonated polyetherketones and polysulfones, five non-fluorinated aromatics (4,4'-sulfonyldiphenol, bisphenol A, 4,4'-diphenol, 4,'-dihydroxybenzophenone and sulfonated 4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone) are chosen as model compounds for ESR experiments, aiming at the identification of products of HO· radical reactions with these monomers. Direct photolysis of aqueous solutions of H2O2 was chosen as the source of HO· radicals. In order to distinguish HO· radical attack from direct photolysis of the monomers, experiments were carried out in the presence and absence of H2O2. In the second part of the present work three different electron beam irradiated fluoropolymers - poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene), poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) and poly(vinylidenefluoride), as well as their grafting reactions with styrene, 25% styrene in benzene and 25% styrene in ethanol are investigated by means of ESR. Firstly, it was possible to compare the radiation chemistry of the three fluoropolymers that have been irradiated using the same irradiation source, doses and atmospheres. Secondly, it was possible to compare the decay of radicals in the different fluoropolymers by carrying out in-situ ESR measurements in a similar systematic manner during the radiation grafting process, aiming at an understanding of the influence of the irradiation atmosphere and of the diluent. In addition, in the radiation grafting of polymer films with styrene for fuel cell applications it is important to control whether the polystyrene chain is grafted onto a peroxy or a carbon centered radical. Thus thermodynamic properties of small alkyl and alkyl-peroxy radicals are studied to model primary, secondary and tertiary radicals in non-fluorinated and perfluorinated polymers and a comparative DFT study is conducted. Furthermore, it is shown based on DFT calculations that pronounced spin polarization effects lead to unexpected behavior of the hyperfine anisotropy. This is demonstrated by comparison of the parameters of CF3·CF2, both in its fully optimized non-planar and in a forced planar conformation, with those of the analogous non-fluorinated and essentially planar CH3·CH2 radical. A B3LYP or UB3LYP hybrid functional and 6-311+G** or EPR-II basis sets are used, and all calculations are performed with the Gaussian package.