How Segmental Dynamics and Mesh Confinement Determine the Selective Diffusivity of Molecules in Cross-Linked Dense Polymer Networks

Abstract

The diffusion of molecules (“penetrants”) of variable size, shape, and chemistry through dense cross-linked polymer networks is a fundamental scientific problem broadly relevant in materials, polymer, physical, and biological chemistry. Relevant applications include separation membranes, barrier materials, drug delivery, and nanofiltration. A major open question is the relationship between transport, thermodynamic state, and penetrant and polymer chemical structure. Here we combine experiment, simulation, and theory to unravel these competing effects on penetrant transport in rubbery and supercooled polymer permanent networks over a wide range of cross-link densities, size ratios, and temperatures. The crucial importance of the coupling of local penetrant hopping to polymer structural relaxation and the secondary importance of mesh confinement effects are established. Network cross-links strongly slow down nm-scale polymer relaxation, which greatly retards the activated penetrant diffusion. The demonstrated good agreement between experiment, simulation, and theory provides strong support for the size ratio (penetrant diameter to the polymer Kuhn length) as a key variable and the usefulness of coarse-grained simulation and theoretical models that average over Angstrom scale structure. The developed theory provides an understanding of the physical processes underlying the behaviors observed in experiment and simulation and suggests new strategies for enhancing selective polymer membrane design.