Polymers with palladium nanoparticles as active membrane materials

Abstract

Abstract A new in situ infusion method was used to incorporate small amounts (∼1 wt %) of metal and metal oxide particles into a polymer matrix. Nanosized particles were observed by both transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) transport properties of the infused materials were investigated using a dynamic diffusion approach in which both testing and purge gases can be controlled. It was discovered that trace amounts (∼2%) of hydrogen (H 2 ) in the purge gas were sufficient to considerably reduce the O 2 flux of FEP films infused with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles, up to a 200‐fold decrease. In contrast, H 2 essentially had no effect on the transport of CO 2 . The generality of the remarkable reduction in oxygen flux was also demonstrated with films of PP, LLDPE, PET, and nylon 6,6 infused with Pd nanoparticles. This oxygen‐scavenging effect became more pronounced at lower oxygen concentrations. The catalytic role of Pd in the reaction of O 2 and H 2 and the enormous surface area provided by the dispersed nanoparticles were responsible for this highly efficient oxygen‐scavenging effect. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 749–756, 2004