Nanoconfined Pores of Poly(4-vinylpyridine) Polystyrene and Poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)Polystyrene Block Copolymers: Electroanalytical Study and Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Abstract

The performance of electrocatalysis and chemical synthesis within nanodomains is of interest as a novel means of producing chemical products. Self-assembled block copolymers (BCPs) provides us with a means of conducting these reactions. BCPs undergo a phenomenon known as microphase separation where two immiscible polymer subunits undergo reorganization to form highly ordered nanodomains. The incorporation of a small organic molecule within BCPs followed by extraction of these small molecules allows for the production of nanoporous domains that can function as nanovessels for chemical reactions. Polystyrene-Poly(4-vinylpyridine) and Poly(t-butyl methacrylate)-Poly(4-vinylpyridine) is used in this study as the BCPs of interest. Electrochemistry allows us to analyze and perform chemical synthesis within these nanoporous domains. One reaction we are looking at is the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR). Due to the nature of these nanovessels, reactions that are energetically unfavorable in the macroscale may prove feasible due to many factors including, reduce degrees of freedom for the reactants, high concentration of protons within these pores, and highly charged electronic environment.