Publication Date
3-2025
College
College of Sciences & Mathematics
Department
Chemistry and Physics, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Research
Faculty Advisor
Hua Mei
SPARK Session
Chemistry and Physics Senior Research II (3:15-4:15)
Presentation Type
Article
Summary
Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are sources of energy that are clean, quiet, and highly responsive to changes in power needs, making them promising for use in automobiles and other portable power devices. The electrolyte of a PEM cell–the layer responsible for conductivity–is a polymer membrane, commonly consisting of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers. In place of the PFSA polymers, perfluoroalkyl arylsulfonimide (PFSI) polymers are expected to improve the efficiency of PEM fuel cells with better stability and proton conductivity. The trifluovinylether (TFVE) aryl perfluorosulfonamide monomer is a new PFSI monomer proposed to fulfill these benefits once polymerized. The previous six-step synthesis of the monomer has been refined to a more time and cost-effective five-step synthesis by using a slightly altered, commercially available starting material. The new starting material was successfully brominated in the first reaction step to protect the trifluorvinyl ether double bond. Our research focused on performing the subsequent chlorosulfonation reaction. Through reflux, filtration, and drying, the crude chlorosulfonation product was obtained for multiple trials but requires further purification and characterization before procession of the synthesis.
Recommended Citation
Foster, Ainsley P.; Varney, Ben; and Mei, Hua, "Refining Chlorosulfonation Methods for the Synthesis of a Perfluoroalkyl Arylsulfonimide (PFSI) Monomer" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 579.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/579
Included in
Analytical Chemistry Commons, Organic Chemistry Commons, Polymer and Organic Materials Commons, Sustainability Commons
