Ionic transport processes in polymer mixture solutions based on quaternized polysulfones

Highlights: • Molecularly designed ability to functionalize polysulfones was demonstrated. • Electrical transport properties in solution were experimental investigated. • Specific interactions from system were quantified by theoretical model. • Experiment-theory correlation has been established. - Abstract: High-performance ionic polysulfones for advanced applications, derived from chloromethylated polysulfones and tertiary amines, i.e., N,N-dimethylbutylamine, were synthesized by a two-step polycondensation reaction and analyzed by the conductometric method. Ionic transport processes developed in ternary systems consisting of an ionic polymer (quaternized polysulfone), a neutral polymer (cellulose acetate phthalate or polyvinyl alcohol), and a dipolar aprotic solvent (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) offer information concerning the combined action of the electrostatic repulsive interactions, of associations which can take place inside the same polymer chain (intra-molecular interactions) or between different chains (inter-molecular interactions). Conductometric experimental data for polyelectrolyte/neutral polymer/solvent ternary systems are macroscopic results that can be interpreted on the basis of these interactions, and are reported as a function of the factors controlling the transport properties, such as the polymer solution concentration, polymer mixture composition, charge density, and polarity of the solvent. Additionally, the validity of Manning's theory was applied to the studied ternary systems and important discrepancies between the theory and experiment were observed.