MIT researchers develop “impossible” 2D Polymer

A team of chemical engineers based at MIT have developed an innovative new polymer that was beforehand considered impossible. Led by Carbon P. Dubbs Professor Michael S. Strano, the team’s creation, dubbed 2DPA-1, carries the strength of steel and yet the weight of plastic.

Using a new polymerisation method, the Stranos Research Group were able to generate a two-dimensional sheet, known as a polyaramide, that can be made in large quantities, meaning huge potential for industrial applications. The material itself can self-assemble in solution and thus the team discovered that it can be used to coat films. It is also impermeable to gases since the monomers involved can lock, or rather tesselate, together in stacks, unlike other polymers which are linked together like a chain.

Strano has already suggested that the new polymer could have potential applications in the automotive and construction industries. Speaking to SYFY Wire, Strano said: “We don't detect any molecules entering the interior of the solid. When we make a thin film of the material, we can't measure any gas permeation, so by our measurements, 2DPA-1 is the most effective barrier material of any organic polymer known.”

This could enable ultra-thin coatings that can prevent water or gases from leaching. Such barrier coatings could therefore be suitable to protect metals used in vehicles, or in steel structures.

Plastics are not traditionally considered as suitable in supporting structures in the construction industry, but the unique bonding ability of 2DPA-1 monomers is opening up potential new uses that science had thus far been unable to consider.

The research is ongoing and Strano is excited by the possibilities.