title: Enhancement of anhydrous proton transport by supramolecular nanochannels in comb polymers.
abstract: Transporting protons is essential in several biological processes as well as in renewable energy devices, such as fuel cells. Although biological systems exhibit precise supramolecular organization of chemical functionalities on the nanoscale to effect highly efficient proton conduction, to achieve similar organization in artificial systems remains a daunting challenge. Here, we are concerned with transporting protons on a micron scale under anhydrous conditions, that is proton transfer unassisted by any solvent, especially water. We report that proton-conducting systems derived from facially amphiphilic polymers that exhibit organized supramolecular assemblies show a dramatic enhancement in anhydrous conductivity relative to analogous materials that lack the capacity for self-organization. We describe the design, synthesis and characterization of these macromolecules, and suggest that nanoscale organization of proton-conducting functionalities is a key consideration in obtaining efficient anhydrous proton transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Yangbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thorn
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Versek
authors.forename: Ambata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poe
authors.forename: Ryan C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tuominen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thayumanavan
mesh_terms: D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011522:Protons; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D011522:Protons; D014867:Water