| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Thin Films Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session TF-ThM |
| Session: | Area-selective Deposition and Infiltration Growth Methods |
| Presenter: | Emily McGuinness, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Authors: | E.K. McGuinness, Georgia Institute of Technology F. Zhang, Georgia Institute of Technology R.P. Lively, Georgia Institute of Technology M.D. Losego, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
PIM-1, a polymer with intrinsic microporosity, is commonly used for membrane-based chemical separations. However, PIM-1 undergoes detrimental microstructural changes over time and after exposure to certain solvents. In this talk, we will discuss our efforts to use vapor phase infiltration of inorganic components as a means to maintain the microstructure of PIM-1. Vapor phase infiltration (VPI) is a process by which metalorganic precursors are diffused into organic polymer materials to transform them into organic-inorganic hybrids. In this work, we investigate how utilizing VPI can increase PIM-1 durability. We examine VPI of several metal-organic precursors including diethylzinc, trimethylaluminum, and titantium tetrachloride. VPI has been effective in diffusing and trapping inorganic species to a depth of more than 10 microns in PIM-1 material (Figure 1). Gas sorption measurements (BET) indicate that the infiltration process does not significantly decrease the surface area nor the permeability of these PIM-1 membranes (Figure 2). These treatments are also found to improve the chemical stability of PIM-1 when exposed to organic solvents. The kinetics of the VPI process on PIM-1 materials will also be discussed.