Porous microcomposite of metal cation exchanged perfluorinated ion-exchanged polymer and network of metal oxide, silica or metal oxide and silica

A process of the preparation of a porous microcomposite comprising a perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer containing pendant metal cation exchanged sulfonate groups, metal cation exchanged carboxylate groups, or metal cation exchanged sulfonate and carboxylate groups, wherein the metal cation may be ligand coordinated, and optionally pendant sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups, or sulfonic acid and carboxylic acid groups, entrapped within and highly dispersed throughout a network of metal oxide, a network of silica, or a network of metal oxide and silica, wherein the weight percentage of perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer in the microcomposite is from about 0.1 to about 90 percent;

• said process comprising the steps of:
• a. mixing a solution comprising a perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer containing pendant metal cation exchanged sulfonate groups, metal cation exchanged carboxylate groups, or metal cation exchanged sulfonate and carboxylate groups, wherein the metal cation may be ligand coordinated and optionally pendant sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups, sulfonic acid and carboxylic acid groups, at least one precursor selected from the group consisting of:
• a metal oxide precursor, a silica precursor, and a metal oxide and silica precursor, in a common solvent;
• b. initiating gelation;
• c. allowing sufficient time for formation of a network of metal oxide, a network of silica, or a network of metal oxide and silica through gelation and aging of the mixture;
• and
• d. removing the solvent to yield the porous microcomposite, wherein the size of the pores in the microcomposite is 0.5 nm to 75 nm.

A process for the preparation of a porous microcomposite comprising a perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer containing pendant metal cation exchanged sulfonate groups, metal cation exchanged carboxylate groups, or metal cation exchanged sulfonate and carboxylate groups, wherein the metal cation may be ligand coordinated, and optionally sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups, or sulfonic acid and carboxylic acid groups, entrapped within and highly dispersed throughout a network of metal oxide, a network of silica, or a network of metal oxide and silica, wherein the weight percentage of the perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer in the microcomposite is from about 0.1 to about 90 percent, wherein the size of a first set of pores in the microcomposite is 0.5 nm to 75 nm, and wherein the microcomposite optionally further comprises a second set of pores having a size in the range of about 75 nm to about 1000 nm;

• said process comprising the steps of:
• a. contacting a porous microcomposite comprising a perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer containing pendant sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups, or sulfonic acid and carboxylic acid groups, entrapped within and highly dispersed throughout a network of metal oxide, a network of silica, or a network of metal oxide and silica, wherein the weight percentage of perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer in the microcomposite is from about 0.1 to 90 percent, wherein the size of a first set of pores in the microcomposite is 0.5 nm to 75 nm, and wherein the microcomposite optionally further comprises a second set of pores having a size in the range of about 75 nm to about 1000 nm, with an aqueous solution comprising at least one metal salt;
• and
• b. removing the solvent to yield the porous microcomposite.