Two diazonium perfluoroalkyl arylsulfonimide (PFSI) zwitterionic monomers, 4-diazonium perfluoro(3-oxapent-4-ene)benzenesulfonimide (I) and 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-diazonium perfluoro(3-oxapent-4-ene)benzenesulfonimide (II) have been synthesized from perfluoro(3-oxapent-4-ene) sulfonyl fluoride (POPF) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. PFSI polymers are proposed as new electrolytes due to their better thermal stability, inertness to electrochemical conditions, and lower susceptibility to oxidative degradation and dehydration. For a better integration between the electrode and the electrolyte, the PFSI polymers are expected to be grafted onto the carbon electrode via the diazonium moiety. All the reaction intermediates and the final product were characterized with 1H NMR, 19F NMR and IR spectroscopies.

Copper is an essential trace element for living organisms and has both known and additional suspected roles in human health and disease. The current understanding of copper metabolism is substantial but incomplete, particularly in regard to storage and exchange at the subcellular level, although available evidence indicates exchangeable intracellular copper is in the monovalent oxidation state. Selective fluorescent probes with sufficient sensitivity to detect Cu(I) availability at physiologically relevant levels and at subcellular resolution would be valuable tools for studying copper metabolism. As a contribution toward this goal, this work describes the development of Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes with greatly improved aqueous solubility, contrast ratio, and fluorescence quantum yield. This work also describes the development of water-soluble, 1:1-binding chelators that form colorless, air-stable copper(I)-complexes. By acting as copper(I) buffering agents and affinity standards, these compounds can serve a complementary role to fluorescent probes in the study of copper biochemistry.

The objective of the research is to synthesize the diazonium N-(perfluoroalkyl) benzenesulfonimide (PFSI)zwitterionicpolymers as electrolytes in polymerelectrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The proposed diazoniumPFSI zwitterionic polymer (I) is expected to enhance the thermal and chemical stability, increase the proton conductivity of electrolytes, and improve the catalyst efficiency for PEM fuel cells. Synthesis of the perfluorobenzoyl peroxide initiator, homopolymerization of perfluoro (3-oxapent-4-ene) sulfonyl fluoride,coupling reaction with4-sulfamonylacetanilide, couplingreaction with 4-nitrobenzene sulfonyl amide, n-deacetylation reaction, and diazotization reactionhave been carried outsuccessfully in the lab. The intermediate chemicals are characterized by GC-MS, IR, NMR, and GPC spectroscopies.