Characterization and Sulfonation Degree of Sulfonated Poly Ether Ether Ketone Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

3 Abstract: Poly ether ether ketone containing sodium sulfonate groups with high molecular weight were successfully prepared by aromatic nucleophilic reaction between three different monomers; 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and 5,5'-carbonylbis (2-fluorobenzene sulfate) (sulfonated monomer) with bisphenol A in the presence of potassium carbonate anhydrous in dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent. The polycondensation process is achieved at 170°C and the sulfonated poly ether ether ketone is produced at various degree of sulfonation by controlling the percentage of the sulfonated monomer. The composition and incorporation of the sulfonated repeating unit into the copolymer are determined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy which has been demonstrated to be a very powerful technique for the analysis of commercial polymeric materials. The analysis allows the precise and rapid determination of the degree of sulfonation (DS) of the produced sulfonated copolymer which is promising candidate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell.