High oxygen permeation and persistent oxygen-carrying in a poly(vinylimidazole-co-fluoroalkyl methacrylate) cobaltporphyrin membrane

A membrane having both a selective oxygen-absorbing capability and a long o perational lifetime was prepared by complexing picket-fence cobaltporphyrin (CoP) with poly(vinylimidazole-co-fluoropentyl methacrylate) (FIm) as a po lymer-ligand. The oxygen-binding affinity of the CoP complexed in the membr ane was larger than that in the solution state. Oxygen permeation was selec tively facilitated with the CoP fixed in the membrane, and a high oxygen pe rmeability (10(-7) cm(3)(STP) cm cm(-2) s(-1) cmHg(-1)) maintaining the per mselectivity was observed. The lifetime of the CoP as an oxygen-carrier was prolonged by complexing with FIm even in a humid atmosphere (half-lifetime > 200 days) due to the hydrophobic property of the FIm copolymer.