Abstract
Thiol–ene chemistry draws much attention nowadays in the construction of functional polymer materials due to its versatility and fast reaction kinetics, though only a few studies have been reported on its utilization in the fabrication of elastic polymer materials. Herein, a series of elastic, poly(dimethylsiloxane)–poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PDMS–PEGMEA)-based co-polymer membranes are synthesized via a one-pot thiol–ene reaction. These membranes are highly stable and exhibit tunable thermal/mechanical properties by tailoring the cross-linker and side-chain functionality. When used for gas separation application, all grafted elastomer membranes show excellent gas permeability and selectivity, and the membrane with an optimal composition (PDMS–PEGMEA30–EOPDMS10) has reached the Robeson upper bound (CO2 permeability ∼800 barrer and α[CO2/N2] ∼39). The high permeability originates from the extremely fast chain mobility of PDMS molecules at the ambient temperature. Tailoring the PEGMEA content allows control of the α[CO2/N2] ranging from 21 to 39 by enhancing gas solubility within the membrane matrix. This study provides a promising strategy to be utilized for the gutter layer, selective layer, or their combination in the industrial gas separation modules.
