Mr. Aniruddha Nag, (3rd year doctoral student in Kaneko lab. of Energy and Environment Area) received prestigious 10th MoDeSt 2018 Grant Award for presenting his research in the 10th Modification, degradability and stabilization of the polymer, (MoDeSt 2018) University of Tokyo, 2018.

■Date Awarded
September 4, 2018

■Title
Molecular modification and application of bio-based polybenzimidazole as stable polymer electrolyte

■Abstract
Conventional bio-based plastics are usually low performance plastics in terms of thermo-mechanical properties. We have successfully synthesized bio-based plastic consist of high thermo-mechanical properties comparable with engineering plastics. Polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) are a series of super high performance polymers attracting researchers' attention because of PBIs have a rigid aromatic structure and hetero rings in their backbone to induce a good stability. However, previously bio-based PBIs have ever been tried to prepare and base on such a background we have used renewable 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3, 4-AHBA) derived from Actinomycetes metabolite to produce bio-based PBI. Also, PBIs have active imidazole hydrogen (-NH) to receive chemical modification. Here we report N-boronation of the PBI via lithiation to be ionically conductive. The PBI was modified by triethylborane substitution to imidazole proton to create boronated PBI (B-PBI) with Li counter ion. Considerable battery performance was confirmed along with stable interfacial properties while using this as solid polymer electrolyte (SPE).

■Comment
It's always a privilege to have a chance of presenting your research as oral presentation on such a big platform like-"MoDeSt 2018" while some other senior researchers didn't get such opportunity other than poster presentation. Moreover, I am thankful to MoDeSt society and organizing committee for awarding me the "MoDeSt grant" and registration fee waive off. I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to Professor Tatsuo Kaneko for his continuous support, motivation and constructive guidance. I am also immensely grateful to Professor Noriyoshi Matsumi and Prof Raman Vedarajan for their necessary guidance. Lastly I would like to thank all of the Kaneko lab members for their support.

September 12, 2018