Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs)

Application

• Potential applications in the fabrication of selectively permeable membranes for gas separation, sensors and adsorbents.

Development Status

• Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have developed methods for preparing PIMs using step-growth polymerisations, based on reactions that provide non-linear linking groups based on Tröger’s base (TB).

IP Status

• Method for producing polymers comprising multiple repeat units of bicyclic diamines: US 9,018,270B and EP 2616493B
• Polymers, their method of manufacture and use thereof: US 9,862,801B and EP 11761110.3A

Commercial Offerings

• Technology available for licensing

Opportunity

The technology of polymerisation using Tröger’s base formation allows the ready formation of step-growth polymers, which have unusual combinations of physical properties, from a single diamine monomer.

Technology overview

• Polymer rigidity and fixed chain conformation result in solution-processable materials with very high glass transition temperatures.
• Solids possess large amounts of free volume, which is freely accessible to smaller gas molecules via diffusion but high rigidity reduces transport of larger molecules producing high size selectivity.

Figure: Tröger’s base formation can be used to make high molecular mass, solution-processable polymers that act as microporous molecular sieves for membrane separations

Benefits

• Microporosity due to highly rigid structures: high free volume
• Freely soluble in organic solvents at ambient temperatures enabling processing into a variety of membranes, fibres and objects.
• Glass transition temperature >350°C

Publications

Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs), McKeown N B., Polymer 2020, 202: 122736.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2020.122736

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032386120305668

Please note, the header image is purely illustrative. Source: D3Damon via GettyImages

Quote: TEC1103421