THE SYNTHESIS OF NEW POLYPYRRONES AND THEIR EVALUATION AS GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANES

PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND EVALUATION OF NEW MONOMERS AND OF POLYPYRONES SYNTHESIZED FROM THEM. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DISCOVER NEW POLYMERS THAT MAY BE USEFUL AS MEMBRANES TO SEPATATE GAS MIXTURES IN AN ECONOMIC FASHION. ONE NEW MONOMER (A TETRAAMINE) WILL BE SYNTHESIZED AS WILL FOUR NEW POLYMERS (POLYPYRRONES). THE LATTER WILL BE CHEMICALLY AND PHYSICALLY CHARACTERIZED, CAST INTO FILMS, AND EVALUATED FORSORPTION AND TRANSPORT (PERMEATION) OF GAS MIXTURES SUCH AS HELIUM WITH METHANE, OXYGEN WITH NITROGEN, AND CARBON DIOXIDE WITH METHANE. THESE NEW POLYMERS WILL AFFORD NOT ONLY NEW MATERIALS FOR GAS PURIFICATION BUT ALSO IMPORTANT INSIGHT INTO THE EFFECT OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE, WHICH IS CRITICAL TO THIS PHENOMENON.