Membrane preparation from hyperbranched perfluorinated polymers

In this research, membrane formation with hyperbranched perfluorinated polymers (HBFP) was investigated. To create a tough membrane, HBFP was blended and crosslinked with a tougher linear polymer. Blending only or crosslinking only was not sufficient to create a tough membrane, but combining blending with crosslinking was successful. Miscibility, phase separation, and thermal and mechanical properties were evaluated for a variety of systems. By using a toughening linear polymer with lower polarity, reduced phase separation and improved mechanical properties were seen. Overall, imidazole-containing HBFPs produced the clearest and toughest blends. These new hyperbranched ionomers and copolymers are strong candidates for future use in anhydrous proton exchange membranes. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 961-972