Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) combine the desirable processability of polymers with a significant degree of microporosity generated from the inefficient packing of their rigid and contorted macromolecular structures. They are attracting attention for a number of applications including the fabrication of optical sensors and as membrane materials for gas separations, pervaporation and organic solvent nanofiltration. The ultimate aim of our research is the development of a solution processable and microporous polymer that demonstrates similarly high gas selectivities to those of carbon molecular sieves, which are also amorphous microporous materials (Fig. 1). In particular, the focus will be on recently prepared PIMs with exceptionally rigid polymeric structures that yield high selectivities and those with macromolecular chains of 2-dimensional shape (e.g. PIM-TMN-Trip),4 which demonstrate permeabilties similar to that of the ultrapermeable polymer PTMSP. Ageing data and their potential as materials for gas separation membranes will be discussed.

Ultrapermeable polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) for gas separation membranes

256th National Meeting (2018)

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