Structure and solvation control of redox-metallopolymers for electrochemically-mediated ion separations

Chen, Raylin

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121211 Copy

Description

Title

Structure and solvation control of redox-metallopolymers for electrochemically-mediated ion separations

Author(s)

Chen, Raylin

Issue Date

2023-07-05

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Su, Xiao

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Su, Xiao

Committee Member(s)

• Higdon, Jonathan J. L.
• Kenis, Paul J. A.
• Gewirth, Andrew A.

Department of Study

Chemical & Biomolecular Engr

Discipline

Chemical Engineering

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

electrochemical separations

Abstract

Electroresponsive polymer materials have garnered interest as selective and electrically switchable adsorbent materials. The improved selectivity of these materials would allow for the increased efficiency of existing adsorption separation processes and electrically switchable nature of these materials could greenify adsorption separations processes by reducing the need for chemical elution. This thesis presents some work on elucidating the underlying physicochemical mechanisms that govern the selectivity of ferrocene polymers toward target anion species. After a critical review of the current state of the art literature, the results are summarized in two parts. First, we demonstrated that a change in the ferrocene polymer structure, from a pendant ferrocene to a main-chain ferrocene, resulted in different ion selectivity towards a range of transition metal oxyanions. Through electronic structure calculations, we showed that the addition of a electron donation silane substituent on ferrocene can change ion binding energies with the ferrocenium binding cite based on the the ionization energy of the ion. Second, through copolymerization of a ferrocene moiety with another hydrophilic moiety, we could change the hydrophilicity of the polymer, independent of the ferrocene cite charge transfer. This change in hydrophilicity resulted in different ion selectivity as well. Overall, these results may provide for future metallopolymer design for targeted ion capture in aqueous systems.

Graduation Semester

2023-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121211

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Raylin Chen

Owning Collections