Sulfonated copoly(norbornene)s bearing sultone pendant groups and application as proton exchange membranes candidates

Novel copolynorbornenes bearing pendant sultone groups (designated as P(BN/SulNBOH) and P(BN/SulNBOMe)) have been successfully synthesized via copolymerization of functionalized norbornenes bearing sultones (designated as SulNBOH and SulNBOMe) with 2-butoxymethylene norbornene (BN). The catalyst system showed high catalyst activity (10(4) g(polymer)/mol(Ni)center dot h) and the obtained copolymers have high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution. Furthermore, the achieved copolymers P(BN/SulNBOH) and P(BN/SulNBOMe) were converted into sulfonated copolymers sP (BN/NBOH) and sP(BN/NBOMe). Both sP(BN/NBOH) and sP(BN/NBOMe) membranes displayed low water uptake, high thermal properties, good mechanical properties, and better proton exchange membranes properties. The proton conductivities measured in the hydrated state at 80 degrees C ranged from 10(-5) to 7.19 x 10(-3)S.cm(-1).