Proton conducting gel polyelectrolytes based on 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPSA) copolymers with polyfunctional monomers: Part I. Anhydrous systems

The synthesis of crosslinked gel polyelectrolytes in polar aprotic solvents such as dimethylformamide (DMF) and a DMF and propylene carbonate (PC) mixture has been carried out in the copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPSA) and polyfunctional monomers. N,N′-Methylene-bis-acrylamide, trioxyethylene dimethacrylate (Mn  330) and trimethylolpropane ethoxylate (14/3 EO/OH) triacrylate were used as crosslinking monomers. The reactions were initiated thermally or by UV irradiation in the presence of Irgacure 184 or methyl benzoin ether. The crosslinking monomer was used in an amount of 0.5–13 wt.%. The effect of the type and concentration of the polyfunctional comonomer and type of solvent on the optical (color, transparency) and mechanical properties as well as the ability to conduct electrical charges have been studied. The application of a DMF and PC mixture enables to obtain transparent systems of good mechanical properties and high ambient temperature ionic conductivity of the order of 10−3 to 10−4 S cm−1, slightly lowered as compared with that of gels comprising DMF alone. The conducting properties of crosslinked gels have been compared with that of the AMPSA homopolymer solutions in analogous solvents.