Synthesis of high surface area polyimides

Stephan HAUDUM, MSc.

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Polyimides are high performance polymers with excellent features such as high chemical resistance and mechanical toughness. Recently the development of soluble highly porous, high surface area polyimides has been receiving growing attention and several scientists have reported new high surface area polyimides. The combination of the excellent features of poly-imides with properties like high surface area and easy processability provides a unique poly-mer class with a manifold field of application. The aim of this thesis was to synthesize and characterize soluble polyimides with high surface area and porosity, by following the concept of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). This unique class of polymers combines high surface area with good solubility. This can be achieved by creating a rigid bulky polymer backbone which cannot pack efficiently, therefore creating void space, eventually leading to a non-covalent porous 3D system. The thesis in-cludes the synthesis of novel rigid, bulky monomers and their polymerization with various comonomers, as well as post polymerization modifications by Diels Alder additions to maxim-ize surface area. All synthesized polymers were thoroughly characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and BET surface area measurements.

Keywords

Polyimide, polymer

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 8. 7. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. Dr. Ian Teasdale

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH BOHEMIA IN ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Biochemistry / Biological chemistry