Pulsed Laser Sulfonation of

Polystyrene
Sunit Hendrana, Nanik Indayaningsih, Maria Margaretha Suliyanti,
Melati Septiyanti, Evi Triwulandari, Dwiki Destian Susilo, Chotimah

Research Centre for Chemistry - LIPI

Research Centre for Physics - LIPI
FMIPA-Fisika - UGM
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Background
Membrane is an essential part in Fuel cell

Membrane will allow ion to pass through,

but electron

Sulfonat (-SO3H) is the key componen

in the membrane

Sulfonated Polymer is the key material

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Sulfonation Mechanism
Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

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 Laser and Sulfonation Mechanism
Step 1

• Sulfonation requires sulfonation agent

Step 2
• Step 2 is determining step and is transformation from
𝜋-complex to 𝜎-complex. ↦Physical means could
affect the rate.

• Sulfonation of may first order refersible —> step 2 can

Step 3
be accelerate or trigged by introducing laser.
Idibie, et.al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49, 2010.

• Laser could induced reaction of benzene

shu, et .al, Int J. Photoenergy, 2014 ID874102

• Reaction on Polystyrene which contain benzene may

also apply the same principles. ISFAP-2019
Laser and Sulfonation Mechanism

• Sulfonation of benzenic-containing polymer trig by

Pulsed laser might could produce an effective
reaction

• And It also could avoid unexpected side reaction

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 The Experiment
A laser pulses Nd-YAG Q-Switch 1064 nm, 10 Hz,
pulse duration of 5.5 ns, focused to sampel with a
variation of the energy ( 12 mJ or 40 mJ) , the sampel
holder can be rotated in order to get new position of
sample

Beam
spitter
Nd-YAG laser

Focusing lens

Sampel holder

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 The Experiment

Conventional : 24 hours

Pulsed Laser : 1 hours

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FTIR

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FTIR

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FTIR
Though each approach
(conventional vs Pulsed Laser) runs at large
different in reaction time (24 h vs 1 h), the
sulfonation degree is quite similar

Each method
(conventional vs Pulsed Laser) might produce
different arrangement in its own sulfonate
groups

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FTIR

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FTIR

A week absorption of Sp3hybrdization

might arise from the molecular backbone
change.
That could means change in molecular weight

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Molecular Weights

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Molecular Weights

~ 10 % ~2%

~ 0% ~ 0%

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Molecular Weights

Pulsed laser Sulfonation

produced
with no side reaction

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Molecular Weights

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Molecular Weights

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 Molecular Weights

Molecular weight changes:

more prominent in
lower molecular weight

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 Conclusions
• It is successfully demonstrated that Pulsed Laser could induced
sulfonation onto polystyrene

• Pulsed laser can do Sulfonation of polystyrene

• shorter time

• have no side reaction

• might produced different microstructure

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 Acknowledgement

• P2Kimia - LIPI
• P2Fisika - LIPI
• Riset Unggulan LIPI

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..

“Terima Kasih”

..