Triblock copolymers with acidic groups

An ion conducting membrane comprising:

• a block copolymer including a polymer having formula (1):
• Am-Bn-Cp (1)
• wherein:
• A is a first polymer segment that is repeated m times to form first polymer block Am that is either hydrophobic or hydrophilic;
• B is a second polymer segment that is repeated n times to form second polymer block Bn that is either hydrophobic or hydrophilic;
• C is a third polymer segment that is repeated p times to form third polymer block Cp that is either hydrophobic or hydrophilic,
• m, n, and p are each independently an integer from 1 to 200;
• with the proviso that when A is hydrophobic, B is hydrophilic and C is hydrophobic;
• or
• when A is hydrophilic, B is hydrophobic and C is hydrophilic, wherein when A is hydrophilic, A comprises a first substituent for proton transfer, when B is hydrophilic, B includes a second substituent for proton transfer, and when C is hydrophilic, C includes a third substituent for proton transfer
• and wherein when Am and Cp are both hydrophilic, A and C are each independently described by formula (2) or when Bn is hydrophilic, B is described by formula (2):
• Y1 is —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO2—, —C(CH3)2—, or —C(CF3)2—, —PO(T1)-, —C(CH3)(T1)-, —PO(R4)—, diphenyl methylene, diphenyl silicon, fluorenyl, an alkylene, a bond directly to the next aromatic ring, or
• R1, R2, and R3 are each independently H, C1-10 alkyl, C6-18 aryl, C6-18 aralkyl, —SO3H, —SO3−M+, —COOH, —COO−M+, —PO3H2, —PO3H−M+, —PO32−M2+, or —PO32−M2+;
• M is a metal, ammonium or alkylammonium;
• R4 is H, C1-10 alkyl, C6-18 aryl, or C6-18 aralkyl;
• T1 is given by H or formula (3):
• Y2 is —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO2—, —C(CH3)2—, or —C(CF3)2—, —PO(R4)—, diphenyl methylene, diphenyl silicon, fluorenyl, an alkylene, or a bond directly to the next aromatic ring;
• R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 are each independently H, C1-10 alkyl, C6-18 aryl, C6-18 aralkyl, SO3H, —SO3−M+, —COOH, —COO−M+, —PO3H2, —PO3H−M+, —PO32−M2+, or —PO32−M2+;
• and
• j is an integer from 1 to 30,
• with the proviso that when j>1, the Y2 between sequential aromatic rings are the same or different and the R5, R6, R7, R8, and R9 on sequential aromatic rings are the same or different;
• wherein at least one of R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 is —SO3H, —SO3−M+, —COOH, —COO−M+, —PO3H2, —PO3H−M+, —PO32−M2+, or —PO32−M2+;
• and wherein when Am and Cp are both hydrophobic, A and C are each independently described by formula (4) or when Bn is hydrophobic, B is described by formula (4):
• wherein:
• Y3 is —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO2—, —C(CH3)2—, —C(CF3)2—, —PO(T1)-, —C(CH3)(T1)-, —PO(R4)—, diphenyl methylene, diphenyl silicon, fluorenyl, an alkylene, a bond directly to the next aromatic ring, or
• R14, R15, R16, and R17 are each independently H, C1-18 alkyl, C6-18 aryl, or C6-18 aralkyl;
• k is an integer from 1 to 30;
• with the proviso that when k>1, the Y3 between sequential aromatic rings are the same or different and the R14, R15, R16, and R17 on sequential aromatic rings are the same or different;
• and
• i is an integer from 1 to 6;
• with the proviso that when i>1, the Y1 between sequential aromatic rings are the same or different;
• the T1 on sequential aromatic rings are the same or different and the R1, R2, and R3 on sequential aromatic rings are the same or different;
• wherein for at least one aromatic ring in formula (2), either T1 is not H or one of R1, R2, or R3 is —SO3H, —SO3−M+, —COOH, —COO−M+, —PO3H2, —PO3H−M+, —PO32−M2+, or —PO32−M2+, wherein formula (2) includes a Y1 selected from the group consisting of —PO(T1)-, and —C(CH3)(T1)- with T1 given by formula (3).