Proton Conduction in Tröger’s Base-Linked Poly(crown ether)s

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b05532
• Publication Date: 2018-06-05T09:24:18Z
• Authors: Hasmukh A. Patel; John Selberg; Dhafer Salah; Haoyuan Chen; Yijun Liao; Siva Krishna Moha...; Omar K. Farha; Randall Q. Snurr; Marco Rolandi; J. Fraser Stoddart
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Exactly 50 years ago, the ground-breaking discovery of dibenzo[18]crown-6 (DB18C6) by Charles Pedersen led to use DB18C6 as a receptor in supramolecular chemistry and host host–guest chemistry. We have demonstrated proton conductivity Tröger's base-linked polymers through hydrogen-bonded networks formed from adsorbed water molecules on oxygen atoms under humid conditions. polymers—poly(TBL-DB18C6)-t poly(TBL-DB18C6)-c—synthesized situ alkylation cyclization either trans- or cis-di(aminobenzo) [18]crown-6 at room temperature been isolated high-molecular-weight polymers. The macromolecular structures isomeric poly(TBL-DB18C6)s established spectroscopic techniques size-exclusion chromatography. excellent solubility these chloroform allows formation freestanding membranes, which are thermally stable also show stability aqueous hydrophilic nature building blocks polymer facilitates retention confirmed vapor adsorption isotherms, 23 wt % uptake. is retained even after reducing relative humidity 25%. poly(TBL-DB18C6)-t, found be 1.4 × 10–4 mS cm–1 environment, arises hydrogen bonding associated proton-hopping mechanism, supported modeling study. In addition conductivity, reported here promise wide range applications where sub-nanometer-sized cavities crown ethers robust film-forming ability governing factors dictating their properties.