Modification of polyisoprene‐block‐poly(vinyl trimethylsilane) block copolymers via hydrosilylation and hydrogenation, and their gas transport properties

Polyisoprene-block-poly(vinyl trimethylsilane) (PI-b-PVTMS) block copolymers having different isoprene contents are successfully chemically modified and characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis. Gas transport properties of the initial block copolymers and their derivatives modified via hydrosilylation and hydrogenation are measured. The modified block copolymers show higher permeabilities for O2 and H2 than the unmodified block copolymers while maintaining similar O2/N2 and H2/N2 selectivities. Hydrosilylation and hydrogenation of block copolymers with a low isoprene content result in a permeability increase for O2 and H2 of 15 to 40%, respectively. Similarly, for block copolymers with high isoprene contents, increases in permeabilities up to 125% are observed compared to initial PI-b-PVTMS. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1252–1261