Title : On the versatility of charged thermoplastic elastomers in the environment, energy and healthcare sectors
Abstract:
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are segmented macromolecules that effectively combine the processability of thermoplastics with the elasticity of elastomers, and charged TPEs (cTPEs) incorporate a segment that is either anionic or cationic. The cTPEs examined in this presentation derive from styrenic pentablock polymers with an anionic midblock that imparts hydrophilicity to an otherwise nonpolar polymer. We first examine the effect of a charged segment on self-assembly in solution and demonstrate that, due to their enormous thermodynamic incompatibility, they are amenble to solvent templating and solvent-vapor/hydrothermal annealing. As a consequence of their amphiphilicity, these cTPEs display tremendous promise in contemporary technologies comprising diverse sectors:
Environment: as gas-selective polymer membranes for ammonia and carbon capture
Energy: as electroactive media, organic photovoltaics, Li-ion batteries, electrolyser membranes
Healthcare: as rapid, broad-spectrum, high-efficiency, self-cleaning antimicrobial surfaces
The distinguishing feature of these cTPEs relative to conventional TPEs is their ability to absorb and tran-sport polar liquids (e.g., water) that expedite the transmission of charged particles and polar penetrant molecules. A brief background will be presented on each topic to frame the capabilities of the cTPEs.