Changes in Facilitated Transport Behavior of Silver Polymer Electrolytes by UV Irradiation

Silver species other than the silver ion were formed by UV irradiation on polymer electrolyte membranes containing silver salts and their effect on complexation behavior between the silver and olefin was investigated through the separation performance of olefin/paraffin mixtures. The ideal propylene/propane separation factor reached 350 and the separation coefficient was ca.15 due to the high loading amount of silver ions into poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (POZ) without UV irradiation. On UV irradiation either in air or under nitrogen, the silver-POZ membranes became yellow-brown initially due to the formation of colloidal silver particles, and finally black and metal-like luster. Even when Ag$^{+}$ was converted, to some extent, to Ag$^{\circ}$ by UV irradiation in air at the early stage, the separation coefficient of olefin/paraffin mixtures was maintained. This suggests that silver species other than the silver ion is active for olefin carrier for facilitated transport. Meanwhile the steady decrease of the separation coefficient was observed in the silver/POZ membranes irradiated under $N_2$. It is suggested that the reduction of silver ions in POZ goes through a different photoreduction mechanism with UV irradiation depending on the environment.t.