Polymeric membranes have gained considerable interest in both the scientific and industrial communities due to their wide range of applications. This technology has emerged as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for gas separation. A polymeric material for gas separation applications must exhibit high permeability and selectivity for one of the components in the mixture. Therefore, the development of new materials with high performance in gas separation involves finding a balance between these two parameters. Poly(imides) and ionic liquids (ILs) are two classes of materials that have been extensively studied as membranes for gas separation, each with their respective advantages and limitations. Both poly(imides) and ILs are susceptible to modification and functionalization through the appropriate selection of precursors. However, few studies have explored how to integrate these two families to obtain new materials with synergistic properties.
To contribute to this field of study, the research will involve the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of precursors and imide-diimidazole monomers. From these monomers, new ionic poly(imides) will be synthesized and structurally characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Their solubility, thermal properties (TGA and DSC), molecular weight (GPC), and chain-to-chain distance (d-spacing; WAXD) will be determined. Membranes will be fabricated from these polymers, and their density, as well as their permeability-selectivity ratios for various industrially and environmentally relevant gas mixtures, will be evaluated to establish how the structure-property relationship affects each material.