RAPID AND QUANTITATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE) FROM MNPS3 AND OTHER LAYERED HOSTS

The reaction of tetraethylammonium salt with the nanocomposites K-0.2( C2H4O)(2.3)M(0.9)PS(3) (M = Mn, Gel) under ambient conditions results in the rapid and quantitative displacement of the polymer and alkali m etal to form the alkylammonium intercalate. Solid reactants and produc ts, characterized using XRD, TGA, IR, gel permeation chromatography, a nd elemental analyses, show that these displacement reactions go to co mpletion with no polymer degradation after initial formation of the na nocomposite. Pseudoreaction rates (0.0-7.8 min(-1)) are obtained using temporal XRD studies for different cations, concentrations, and polym er molecular weights. Reaction rates increase for lower polymer molecu lar weights, and a strong rate dependence is observed for alkylammoniu m concentration Displacement from the MPS(3) host occurs very slowly, or only to a limited extent, for tetramethylammonium, tetrapropylammon ium, and tetrabutylammonium salts. A reaction mechanism is proposed fr om observed trends. Rapid displacement is also reported for other laye red nanocomposites containing poly(ethylene oxide) within LixMoS2, Na- montmorillonite, and LixMoO3.