The ability to incorporate stable ionic moieties on polymeric systems is useful for a variety of applications including water purification, drug delivery, gene therapy, antimicrobial coatings, ion transporting membranes, and cell substrates. This technology describes a method for using an ionic moiety, cyclopropenium cation (CPC), to form linear, branched, or dendritic polymers. The CPC moiety is positively charged and can form ionic polymers and materials that may be useful for a wide variety of applications. The use of different cross-linkers with CPC-based materials provides modularity, enabling their mechanical properties to be tuned for each application.
The tunable CPC-based materials described in this technology are highly versatile with numerous potential applications. The ability of the CPC group to retain its positive charge, especially at high pH values, may improve the stability and performance of these materials. Furthermore, the chemistry of CPC-based materials is straightforward. The CPC starting material is readily obtainable from precursors using robust and efficient chemistry. Additionally, the cross-linking process used to obtain CPC-based materials is fast and can be performed under ambient conditions in the presence of water. These materials may be developed with improved properties compared to ionic materials that are currently used for industrial applications.
A CPC-based cross-linker has been used to fabricate both thin film coatings and freestanding plastic substrates.
Tech Ventures Reference: IR CU12180
