Step-growth polymerization facilitates the synthesis of a wide range of industrially applicable polymers, such as polyesters and polysulfones. The choice of backbone and end group structure within these polymers drastically impacts the final material properties and processability emphasizing the necessity for thorough understanding of structure-property relationships. Seemingly simple changes, such as exchanging a monomer for its regioisomer, affects the polymers fundamental packing structure triggering a domino effect ultimately influencing the morphological, thermal, mechanical and barrier properties. In conjunction, end groups provide a means by which tunable mechanical properties and application into unique processing methods can be achieved. Synthesizing polyesters with bibenzoate based monomers generates a large range of morphologies. Linear, 4,4' bibenzoate (4,4'BB), is widely considered a mesogenic monomer due to its ability to impart a liquid crystalline (LC) morphology on semi-aromatic polyesters with linear aliphatic spacers. In this body of work, semi-aromatic polyesters using one of 4,4'BB's regioisomers, either 3,4'BB or 3,3'BB, largely resulted in amorphous or semi-crystalline polymers depending on the selection of aliphatic diol. Incorporation of the meta isomer (3,4'BB) into traditionally LC polymers, such as poly(diethylene glycol 4,4'-bibenzoate) and poly(butylene 4,4'-bibenzoate), through copolymerization afforded two polymer series with tunable LC properties. The 3,4'BB exhibited selective disruption of crystalline domains over the LC phase generating a number of polymers with LC glass morphologies. The application of 3,4'BB to a fully-aromatic polyester enabled the synthesis of a novel melt-processable homopolyester with high thermal stability, poly(p-phenylene 3,4' bibenzoate). This structure afforded a nematic LC morphology which revealed beneficial shear-thinning properties similar to industrial standards. The unique LC morphology of this homopolyester inspired further characterization of the range of achievable properties using the basic structure, poly(phenylene bibenzoate), with all the possible regioisomers. This study afforded six polymers systematically varied in chain linearity from a completely meta to a completely para backbone configuration. A range of morphologies were achieved from high Tg amorphous polymers for the meta configurations to semi-crystalline or LC in the polymers with greater linearity. End group functionalization generates influence on polymer properties while limiting the impact on beneficial properties achieved through the backbone structure and packing. Post-polymerization reactions or the addition of a monofunctional endcapper to the polymerization both achieve end group control. In this dissertation, the addition of a monofunctional diester with a sulfonate moiety to a semi-aromatic LC polyester synthesis resulted in a telechelic ionomer. The non-covalent interaction of the ionic groups will hopefully improve the compression and transverse mechanical properties of the LCP. In contrast, post-polymerization functionalization incorporated acrylate groups onto the ends of a basic polysulfones. These reactive groups provided a handle for photo-curing which enabled the 3D printing of the polysulfones using vat photopolymerization. / Doctor of Philosophy / The research within this dissertation encompasses the design of new plastics for consumer and high-performance applications. Since the emergence of synthetic plastics in the 1920’s, these materials have become a necessity in our everyday life with a range of applications in food packaging, microelectronics, architecture, medical devices, automotive, and aerospace. Benefits over metals and glass primarily result from their light weight and wide range of mechanical properties which allow a range of material properties from soft and flexible plastic grocery bags to tough car parts. Different classes of plastics (polymers) are based primarily on the chemicals used to produce the materials, for example polyesters and polysulfones. The chemical structure of these core materials drastically impacts the final properties of the polymers, which in turn influences their application space. This work focused on how subtle changes to these starting chemical structures allows us to tune the final polymer properties. Within the class of polyesters, a focus was placed on materials known as liquid crystalline (LC) polyesters. A liquid crystalline polymer can achieve a physical state between a solid and a liquid which imparts many beneficial properties on the material processing. Liquid-crystal television displays utilized these properties to provide drastically thinner TV’s with higher resolution. Alternatively, LC polyesters find applications traditionally as high-performance fibers, insulators in microelectronics, and stainless-steel replacements in medical applications. Studying the role of chemical structure on the properties of LC polyester enabled the design of materials which improve upon the current technological standards. These changes enabled the design of LC polyesters with lower processing temperatures and the use of fewer starting materials which will inevitably save energy and money during their production. In the case of polysulfones, changing the chemical structure at the end of the polymer chain facilitated the application of novel processing methods, such as 3D printing. The ability to process using this method reduces the amount of material waste during production and provides an opportunity to design novel parts with intricate structures, inaccessible through traditional means.

La présente thèse traite trois thèmes principaux. Le premier volet concerne le contrôle de la cristallinité et la synthèse des polyéthersulfones avec incorporation de doubles liaisons comme espaceurs dans les chaînes du polymère en utilisant deux approches différentes : la polymérisation par métathèse des diènes acycliques (ADMET) et la polycondensation. L’ADMET a permis d’obtenir des copolymères de faibles polydispersités avec des doubles liaisons régulièrement réparties le long des chaînes du polymère. La polycondensation a permis d’obtenir des copolymères de configuration cis ou trans avec incorporation régulière ou aléatoire des doubles liaisons. Pour la synthèse par ADMET, un bloc rigide, terminé par des groupements allyliques, est polymérisé dans le dichlorométhane à l’aide de l’un des catalyseurs de Grubbs : Grubbs deuxième génération (G2) ou Hoveyda-Grubbs (HG). Concernant la polycondensation, on fait réagir un bloc rigide avec un segment flexible de configuration cis ou trans pour obtenir respectivement le copolymère cis ou trans. La diffraction des rayons X et l’analyse enthalpique différentielle (DSC) ont montré que l’isomère cis inhibe complètement la cristallinité alors que la forme trans la favorise. Le deuxième volet de ce travail repose principalement sur la polycondensation en un seul pot « one pot en anglais» qui a permis de contrôler les températures de transition vitreuse. La spectrométrie de masse MALDI-TOF a permis de démontrer que les copolymères obtenus avec variation du ratio bloc rigide/segment flexible sont de nature aléatoire et non des copolymères blocs. Le troisième et dernier thème de ce document concerne principalement le contrôle de l’hydrophilicité par une post-fonctionnalisation des copolymères à travers les doubles liaisons incorporées en utilisant les réactions thiol-ène clic. Le but étant de moduler les propriétés des copolymères pour les adapter à des applications bien définies. Pour une application dans la filtration membranaire par exemple, des chaînes hydrophiles ont été greffées à travers ces doubles liaisons pour augmenter l’hydrophilicité des copolymères. / This thesis deals with three main themes. The first component relates to the control of the crystallinity and the synthesis of polyethersulfones with incorporation of double bonds as a spacer in the polymer chains using two different approaches: ADMET (Acyclic Diene Metathesis Polymerization) and polycondensation reactions. ADMET leads to copolymers with low polydispersity index and double bonds regularly distributed along the polymer chains. Polycondensation allows obtaining directly cis or trans configuration copolymers with regular or random incorporation of the double bonds. For the synthesis by ADMET, a rigid block terminated by allyl groups is dissolved in dichloromethane and then polymerized using second generation Grubbs catalyst (G2) and Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst (HG). Concerning the polycondensation reaction, a rigid block reacts with a flexible segment of cis or trans configuration to respectively give the cis or trans copolymer. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the cis isomer inhibits crystallization while the trans form favors it. The second part of this work is mainly based on the one-pot polycondensation reaction which allowed control the glass transition. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used to show that copolymers obtained by the variation of the rigid bloc/flexible segment ratio are random and not block copolymers. The third subject of this document mainly concerns the control of the hydrophilicity by post-functionalization of copolymers through the double bonds incorporated using thiol-ene click reactions. The main goal is to modulate the properties of copolymers to suit well-defined applications. For example, for applications in membrane filtration, hydrophilic chains were grafted through double bonds to increase the copolymer hydrophilicity.

L’encrassement microbiologique des membranes de filtration constitue une problématique majeure au sein de l’industrie laitière. La présence de bactéries sporulantes dans les biofilms se formant à la surface des membranes d’ultrafiltration (UF) peut engendrer une contamination des co-produits de la transformation laitière ayant des répercussions négatives sur leur conservation. L’environnement, la température de filtration ainsi que les propriétés de surface des membranes influencent l’adhésion des microorganismes sur celles-ci. Des travaux précédents ont suggéré qu’une plus grande rugosité du matériau membranaire favoriserait la présence de bactéries sporulantes du genre Bacillus. L'objectif de cette étude était de caractériser l'influence de l’usure membranaire sur la performance du procédé d’UF du lactosérum et sur la persistance des bactéries sporulantes à la surface des membranes. Des filtrations de lactosérum inoculé par Bacillus licheniformis ont été réalisées à l’échelle pilote, afin d’étudier l’adhésion de la bactérie à la surface de deux membranes d’UF en polyéthersulfone (PES) présentant un stade d’usure différent. Par la suite, une méthode qPCR ciblant le gène spo0A de la bactérie a été développée pour quantifier B. licheniformis à la surface des membranes. Les résultats de ces travaux ont montré que l’état d’usure des membranes à l’étude n’a pas d’impact sur la baisse de performance en cours de filtration du lactosérum. Bien qu’il eût été suggéré que B. licheniformis persiste à la surface des membranes suivant un cycle de nettoyage standard après une filtration de lactosérum sur une période de 20h à 50°C, il n’a pas été possible de démontrer une relation entre la rugosité membranaire et la rétention de bactéries sporulantes.Cependant, nos travaux ont permis la mise au point et l’optimisation de méthodologies de caractérisation des surfaces membranaires et de l’adhésion de bactéries sporulantes à la surface des membranes représentant des avancées importantes visant le développement de stratégies efficaces pour prévenir la contamination des spores dans les produits laitiers. / Biofouling of filtration membranes is a major issue in the dairy industry. Bacterial spores in biofilms adhering on membrane surfaces can induce a contamination of dairy fluids and ingredients. The presence of sporulating bacteria in biofilms is influenced by the dairy plant environment, the nature of the dairy fluid, the filtration parameters, and characteristics of membrane surfaces. Recent studies suggested a potential adhesion of sporulating Bacillusgenus to rougher membrane materials after whey ultrafiltration.The objective of the present study was to evidence the impact of membrane ageing on the persistence of sporulating bacteria on the surface of aged membranes. Ultrafiltration experiments with whey inoculated with Bacillus licheniformis were then performed to evaluate the impact of two polyethersulfone membranes at different state of ageing on bacterial adhesion. A real-time PCR method was developed targeting the sporulating gene spo0A of B. licheniformis to quantify the bacteria on membrane surface. Results suggest that membrane aging did not impact the filtration performance during whey processing. Although it was suggested that the persistence of the bacteria on membrane surfaces was observed following a cleaning-in-place procedure performed after 20h of filtration at 50°C,it was not possible to evidence that membrane roughness influenced the persistence of bacterial spores at the membrane surface.Moreover, the present study enabled the development and optimization of methods for characterization of surface properties and bacterial spore adhesion which will help to develop and improve strategies to prevent spore contamination in dairy fluids and products.

Le travail reporté dans ce manuscrit concerne l’élaboration de matériaux conducteurs protoniques et anioniques destinés à une application en tant que membrane ou liants d’électrodes. Tout d’abord, la première approche consiste en la formation de polymères pour la conception de membranes anioniques. Pour cela, 2 types de fonctions amine tertiaire ont été greffés le long de la chaîne des polysulfones, puis transformés en ammonium pour leur donner un caractère conducteur anionique. Les fonctions greffées sont de types diméthylamino et N,N diméthylaminométhyle. Différentes séries de polysulfones ont été élaborées en faisant varier le taux de fonctions amine greffées. Pour les polysulfones comportant les fonctions diméthyalmino, les résultats montrent que la stabilité thermique des fonctions ammonium est trop faible pour les utiliser pour la conception de membranes conductrices anioniques. Pour le deuxième type de fonctions amine, des membranes ayant une conductivité maximum de 40 mS.cm-1 pour un taux d’humidité de 95% et une température de 100°C ont été obtenu. Par ailleurs, pour la conception de liants d’électrodes, la synthèse de polyarylènes éthers fluorés conducteurs anioniques a été effectuée. Là encore, une série de polymères a été réalisée en faisant varier le taux de fonctions amine introduit. Les masses molaires ont été controlées pour permettre aux polymères d’être suffisamment soluble pour la mise en solution. Les valeurs de conductivités sont de l’ordre de 35 mS.cm-1. Enfin, pour la conception de membrane protonique, les polymères synthétisés précédemment avec les fonctions diméthylamino ont été utilisés. Ces polymères ont été par la suite dopés à l’aide d’acide phosphorique et la conductivité des membranes obtenues a été testée en condition anhydre. Les résultats obtenus pour ce genre de matériaux est de 160 mS.cm-1 pour un taux de dopage de 50%. En revanche, pour des forts taux de dopage, la conductivité obtenue était plus forte (260 mS.cm-1) mais les membranes perdaient de leurs propriétés mécaniques alors que pour de faibles taux de dopage (environ 18%), les conductivités obtenues étaient faibles. / The work reported in this thesis is the development of proton and anion conducting materials for applications such as membrane or binders electrodes. The first approach is the formation of polymers for the anionic membranes design. To perform it, two types of tertiary amine functions have been grafted along the polysulfones chain, then converted to ammonium rendering data anionic conductive. The grafted functions types are dimethylamino and N, N dimethylaminomethyl. Different series of polysulfones were prepared by varying the rate of amine functions grafted. For polysulfones with dimethyalmino functions, the results show that the thermal stability of ammonium functions is too low to be used in anion conductive membranes design. In the second type of amine, membranes having a maximum conductivity of 40 mS.cm-1 to a moisture content of 95% and a temperature of 100 °C have been obtained. In addition, for the electrodes binders design, the synthesis of fluorinated ethers polyarylenes anionic conductors has been completed. Then, a series of polymers was carried out by varying the rate of amine introduced. The molar masses were controlled to allow polymers to be sufficiently soluble for the dissolution. Conductivity values are around 35 mS.cm-1. Finally, the design of membrane proton polymers synthesized with previously dimethylamino functions has been chosen. These polymers were subsequently doped with phosphoric acid and the conductivity of the resulting membranes has been tested in anhydrous condition. The results obtained for this kind of material is 160 mS.cm-1 for a doping level of 50%. However, for high doping level, conductivity obtained was higher (260 mS.cm-1) but the membranes lost their mechanical properties, while for low doping levels (about 18%), the conductivities obtained were low.

Over 30% of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water, and the need for clean water spans further than just for human consumption. Currently, we use freshwater for growing agriculture, raising livestock, generating power, sanitizing waste, mining resources, and fabricating consumer goods. With that being said, the world is beginning to feel pressure from the excessive freshwater withdrawal compared to the current freshwater supply. This water stress is causing a water crisis. Places including Australia, South Africa, and California in the United States, just to name a few, are beginning to run out of fresh water to support daily societal demands. This is a phenomenon that is indiscriminately observed in all ranges of economically and politically developed countries and environments. However, it is important to note that less politically and economically developed countries especially those in arid climates, experience higher water stress than countries without such qualities. With only 2.5% of the world's water being freshwater and 30% of it being accessible as either ground or surface water, freshwater is a scarce resource, especially with the growing population and society's demand for water. Since the remaining 97.5% of water is composed of either brackish or seawater (saline water sources), one way to overcome the water stress would be to convert saline water into freshwater. As a result, various desalination techniques have been developed in the last 80 years that employ either membrane technology or temperature alterations to desalinate either brackish or seawater. One of the fastest growing methods for producing freshwater is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis uses an externally applied pressure, in the form of a cross flow back pressure, to overcome the osmotic pressure produced by the saline gradient across a semi-permeable membrane. The semi permeable membrane commercially consists of an interfacially polymerized aromatic polyamide thin film composite with a polysulfone porous backing that allows water to pass through while barring the transport of salt ions. This research focuses on the development of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) derivatives with differing amounts of sulfonation and with the ions placed at different structural positions. Previously, such materials were tested as potential high performance fuel cell membranes, but they are also of interest as potential high performance water desalination membranes, specifically for reverse osmosis. Two different methods were used to synthesize the sulfonated polysulfone derivatives: direct polymerization and post-modification of a non-sulfonated active polysulfone. The polysulfones from direct polymerization incorporated specialty sulfonated monomers, which were stoichiometrically controlled during the polymerization. Sulfonated polysulfones that were synthesized from post sulfonation incorporated biphenol and hydroquinone monomer units randomly throughout the polysufone backbones. These units could be sulfonated selectively because of their activation towards electrophilic aromatic substitution with sulfuric acid. Each of the polymers were cast into films ranging between 20-100 microns in thickness and tested for water uptake, hydrated uniaxial tensile properties, crossflow water and salt transport properties, and for crosslinked samples, gel fractions. The water uptakes from all the polysulfones were tuned by the degree of sulfonation or disulfonation present in the polymer. This was either controlled via the presence of a sulfonated monomer or a monomer that was active toward electrophilic aromatic substitution after polycondensation of the polysulfone. All polymers exhibited increases in their water uptake as the degree of sulfonation increased. We also observed a decreasing trend in the hydrated mechanical properties of the films for all the high molecular weight linear polymers as the water uptake was increased. The directly polymerized sulfonated polysulfones were found to have high hydrated elastic moduli ranging between 400 and 1000 MPa, while the post sulfonated counterparts (with either hydroquinone or biphenol incorporated in their structures) exhibited elastic moduli ranging between 1000 and 1500 MPa. It is important to note that the structures of the polymers were slightly different from one another because of the technique used to synthesize them. Thus, the increases in hydrated moduli among polymers synthesized via different routes may have influences from differences in chemical structures. Some of the polymers with higher degrees of sulfonation were synthesized as amine terminated oligomers with varying controlled molecular weights. The two targeted molecular weights were 5 and 10 kDa. Those oligomers were then crosslinked with a tetra-functional epoxide agent. The increases in sulfonation allowed for increases in water uptake and in theory, the water throughput through the sulfonated polysulfone membrane. Decreases in hydrated mechanical performance of the crosslinked networks with increasing degrees of sulfonation were also observed, similar to their high molecular weight linear counterparts. The directly polymerized crosslinked networks had salt permeabilities that plateaued at 70% disulfonation for both the 5 and 10 kDa polymers. Thus, we expect disulfonation content greater than 70% would lead to higher water throughput without significant increases in salt transport. / Doctor of Philosophy / A worldwide shortage of freshwater is becoming more problematic by each passing day. The World Health Organization and the United Nation's World Water Assessment Program predict that by 2025, 50-66% of the world's population will be living in a water-stressed area. This includes any area that experiences higher clean water withdrawals than are available. This includes but is not limited to areas that are politically unstable, technologically disadvantaged, resource deficient, located in arid climates, and highly populated. To put this further into perspective, only 2.5% of the available water on earth is freshwater. Freshwater typically has low concentrations of dissolved salts that are safe for human consumption and use. Of the available freshwater, only 30% of it is actually accessible for use through either surface or groundwater reservoirs, making the amount of clean water available for usage already a scarce resource. On the other hand, 97.5% of the world's water is composed of saline water reservoirs in the form of brackish and seawater. Through harnessing, seawater and removing the excess dissolved salt ions, the salt water can be converted to freshwater. Two major methods have been developed to remove the dissolved ions from water through either membrane filtration or thermal phase changes. One of the fastest growing membrane filtration techniques used worldwide is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis refers to the use of applied pressure across a semipermeable membrane to desalinate saline water. The semipermeable membrane prevents the migration of salt ions through the membrane while allowing transport of water. This work has focused on developing new polymers that can increase the overall efficiency of water desalination. Different types of high performance sulfonated polysulfone derivative polymers were synthesized and used to make membranes that were subsequently tested for performance. Relationships between the polymer structure, process, and properties were quantified through different analytical techniques. This study showed how the properties of sulfonated polysulfone membranes may be manipulated depending on structural modifications and processing to increase both the material's water throughput and salt rejection.

Le travail reporté dans ce manuscrit concerne l'élaboration de matériaux conducteurs protoniques et anioniques destinés à une application en tant que membrane ou liants d'électrodes. Tout d'abord, la première approche consiste en la formation de polymères pour la conception de membranes anioniques. Pour cela, 2 types de fonctions amine tertiaire ont été greffés le long de la chaîne des polysulfones, puis transformés en ammonium pour leur donner un caractère conducteur anionique. Les fonctions greffées sont de types diméthylamino et N,N diméthylaminométhyle. Différentes séries de polysulfones ont été élaborées en faisant varier le taux de fonctions amine greffées. Pour les polysulfones comportant les fonctions diméthyalmino, les résultats montrent que la stabilité thermique des fonctions ammonium est trop faible pour les utiliser pour la conception de membranes conductrices anioniques. Pour le deuxième type de fonctions amine, des membranes ayant une conductivité maximum de 40 mS.cm-1 pour un taux d'humidité de 95% et une température de 100°C ont été obtenu. Par ailleurs, pour la conception de liants d'électrodes, la synthèse de polyarylènes éthers fluorés conducteurs anioniques a été effectuée. Là encore, une série de polymères a été réalisée en faisant varier le taux de fonctions amine introduit. Les masses molaires ont été controlées pour permettre aux polymères d'être suffisamment soluble pour la mise en solution. Les valeurs de conductivités sont de l'ordre de 35 mS.cm-1. Enfin, pour la conception de membrane protonique, les polymères synthétisés précédemment avec les fonctions diméthylamino ont été utilisés. Ces polymères ont été par la suite dopés à l'aide d'acide phosphorique et la conductivité des membranes obtenues a été testée en condition anhydre. Les résultats obtenus pour ce genre de matériaux est de 160 mS.cm-1 pour un taux de dopage de 50%. En revanche, pour des forts taux de dopage, la conductivité obtenue était plus forte (260 mS.cm-1) mais les membranes perdaient de leurs propriétés mécaniques alors que pour de faibles taux de dopage (environ 18%), les conductivités obtenues étaient faibles.

Les travaux présentés sont une contribution à l'étude des polyélectrolytes pour piles à combustible à mem-brane échangeuse de protons. Ils s'appuient sur deux outils d'investigation, l'étude de molécules modèles et des mesures précises de conductivité. Sur le plan des matériaux, l'optimisation du protocole de sulfonation de polysulfones a permis de réduire voire d'éliminer les coupures de chaîne tout en obtenant des taux de sulfonation reproductibles. Il est ainsi possible d'améliorer les propriétés mécaniques des membranes denses élaborées à partir de ces polyélectroly-tes avant test en pile d'EME (Électrode/Membrane/Électrode). En parallèle, la fonctionnalisation de silicium microporeux a permis de préparer des polyélectrolytes bénéficiant de la tenue mécanique du séparateur de silicium. Sur le plan des caractérisations physicochimiques et électrochimiques, les molécules modèles, porteuses des mêmes fonctions et groupes que ceux des polymères associés, permettent d'amplifier les réponses à des solli-citations électrochimiques ou thermiques. En ce sens, elles simulent un vieillissement accéléré des polyélec-trolytes. Enfin, les mesures de conductivité apportent un éclairage nouveau sur cette caractérisation. Le sys-tème de mesure mis au point permet d'obtenir des valeurs de conductivité dans une large gamme de tempéra-ture et d'humidité relative et ce avec une incertitude réduite.

Les piles à combustible sont une technologie en pleine expansion dans le domaine du transport automobile.Les membranes polymères les plus utilisées actuellement dans ces systèmes sont celles à base de Nafion.Leur principal point faible se trouve dans leurs performances limitées au-delà de 80°C, où la membranedevient défaillante et l'eau ne peut plus assurer la conduction protonique. Le projet EUBECELL se proposede résoudre ce problème en mettant au point un système de pile à combustible fonctionnant à l'éthanol et àplus de 120°C. Cette thèse s'inscrit dans ce projet et se concentre sur l'élaboration de nouvelles membranespolymères conductrices de protons. Deux voies sont envisagées : l'amélioration des propriétés du Nafion àhaute température et le remplacement du Nafion par un polymère haute performance auquel on donne uneconductivité.L'amélioration du Nafion se fait par l'ajout de conducteurs liquides ioniques protiques (CLIPs), produitsayant donc une conductivité protonique venant s'ajouter à celle du Nafion. Un premier CLIP est synthétisé,caractérisé puis ajouté au Nafion et les performances des membranes obtenues mesurées. Les résultatsencourageants obtenus incitent à synthétiser d'autres CLIPs à partir de la même amine et en variant le contreion.D'autres mélanges Nafion-CLIPs sont ainsi synthétisés et caractérisés.Les polymères hautes performances étudiés ici pour remplacer le Nafion sont dans un premier temps despolysulfones sulfonées. Les polysulfones étant des polymères qui résistent aux températures élevées et lasulfonation leur donnant une conductivité. Pour conserver de meilleures propriétés après sulfonation, nousprocédons à une extrusion du film polymère suivi d'une sulfonation. Nous mettons donc au point unprotocole de sulfonation hétérogène. Les membranes obtenues sont ensuite caractérisées et leursperformances mesurées. Dans un deuxième temps nous travaillons sur des membranes macroporeuses, àforte tenue mécanique, que nous remplissons avec les CLIPs utilisés auparavant. Les membranes sont alorsaussi caractérisées et leurs performances mesurées. / Fuel cells are an ever-expanding technology in the field of automotive transport. The polymer membranesthat are currently the most widely used are Nafion-based membranes. Their weakest point is their drastic lossof performances beyond the threshold of 80°C, where the membranes fails and water cannot ensure protonconduction anymore. The EUBECELLproject sets to achieve making a fuel cell system functioning above120°C and using ethanol as a fuel. This thesis is part of the project and focus on elaborating new protonconductingpolymer membranes. Two main ways are explored: improving the performances of Nafion athigh temperature and replacing Nafion with conductivity-added high-performance polymers.Improving Nafion's performances is achieved by adding proton conducting ionic liquids (PCILs), productsthat have a proton conductivity that adds to Nafion's own. A first PCIL is synthesized, characterized and thenadded to Nafion, the resulting membranes' performances then measured. The encouraging results that weobtain makes us synthesize more PCILs, from the same amine than the first, varying the counter-ion. OtherNafion-PCIL mixes are made and then characterized.The high-performance polymer investigated for replacing Nafion are, first, sulfonated polysulfones.Polysulfones are high-temperature resistant polymers and sulfonation gives them conductivity. To keep betterproperties after the sulfonation, we proceed to extrude the films before sulfonating them. We elaborate anheterogeneous sulfonation protocol for them. The resulting membranes are then characterized and theirperformances measured. Second, we work on macroporous membranes, with high mechanical strength,which we fill with the PCILs that we previously used. The membranes are then also characterized and theirperformances measured.