Films derived from two or more chemically distinct block copolymers, methods of making same, and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020216618-A1
Application number	US-202016813444-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of making blended, isoporous, asymmetric (graded) films (e.g. ultrafiltration membranes) comprising two or more chemically distinct block copolymers and blended, isoporous, asymmetric (graded) films (e.g. ultrafiltration membranes) comprising two or more chemically distinct block copolymers. The generation of blended membranes by mixing two chemically distinct block copolymers in the casting solution demonstrates a pathway to advanced asymmetric block copolymer derived films, which can be used as ultrafiltration membranes, in which different pore surface chemistries and associated functionalities can be integrated into a single membrane via standard membrane fabrication, i.e. without requiring laborious post-fabrication modification steps. The block copolymers may be diblock, triblock and/or multiblock mixes and some block copolymers in the mix may be functionally modified. Triblock copolymers comprising a reactive group (e.g., sulfhydryl group) terminated block and films comprising the triblock copolymers.

First claim

1 . A blended film comprising at least two chemically distinct block copolymers,
wherein the film comprises:
i) a surface layer having a thickness of 20 nm to 500 nm,
ii) a plurality of pores 5 nm to 100 nm in size,
iii) a pore density of at least 1×10 14 pores/m 2 , and
iv) an asymmetric hierarchical substructure having a thickness of 5 microns to 500 microns and pores having a size of 5 nm to 100 microns.

2 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the at least two chemically distinct block copolymers are selected from the group consisting of diblock copolymers, triblock terpolymers, tetrablock copolymers and combinations thereof.

3 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two chemically distinct block copolymers is a triblock terpolymer or at least two of the at least two structurally distinct block copolymers is a triblock terpolymer.

4 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the two chemically distinct block copolymers are i) poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (ISV) and poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate) (ISA), ii) poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (ISV) and poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (ISO) or iii) poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (ISV), poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine-b-propylene sulfide) (SVPS), and poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (ISO).

5 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the size of the pores in the surface layer have a pore size distribution of less than 0.3, wherein the pore size distribution is defined as the coefficient of variance, σ/μ, obtained through a lognormal distribution fit.

6 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the film has a thickness of from 5 microns to 500 microns.

7 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises pores having pore walls functionalized with one or more pore functionalizing molecules and individual pore functionalizing molecules are covalently attached to the pore wall via at least one covalent bond to the pore wall.

8 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the film further comprises a homopolymer or small molecule.

9 . The blended film of claim 1 , wherein the film further comprises at least one inorganic material, wherein the inorganic material is disposed on at least a portion of the film.

10 . The blended film of claim 9 , wherein the inorganic material is a plurality of metal nanoparticles, wherein the metal nanoparticles comprise one or more metals, and/or the inorganic material is a plurality of oxide nanoparticles, wherein the oxide nanoparticles comprise one or more oxides.

11 . A device comprising one or more blended film of claim 1 .

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is a separation device or a filtration device.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Wiesner Ulrich B
• Li Yuk Mun
• Zhang Qi

Classifications

• C08J9/28 Primary

  by elimination of a liquid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. drying of coagulum · CPC title

• B01D71/261

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• B01D71/262

  Polypropylene · CPC title

• B01D71/4011

  Polymethylmethacrylate · CPC title

• B01D67/00793

  Dispersing a component, e.g. as particles or powder, in another component · CPC title