Supramolecular Architecture for Improved Processibility and Performance: Implications for Self-Healing and

Alternate EnergyTimothy E. Long* and Shijing Cheng , Department of Chemistry, Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061

Novel Supramolecular Polymers: Novel compositions are proposed that contain phosphonium cations and nucleic acid building blocks using simple derivatizations of petroleum based monomers. These monomers provide branched and linear block copolymers wherein the intermolecular interactions enable self-healing and hydroxide anion transport in alkaline fuel cells.

Our research program identified a new family of phosphonium-containing polymers with various alkyl chain lengths and counterions that are capable of forming reversible, ion-channeled, macromolecular architectures. The foundation for this platform is based on our synthetic approach to well-defined macromolecules with precisely defined molecular weights and backbone functionality.

PR

R

RX

X= Cl B

F

F

F For

R= -Oct or -n-Bu

Lamellar structure of phosphonium-containing triblock copolymers under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (Mn = 29.7 K- 53.6 K-29.7 K)