Procurement Summary
Country: USA
Summary: Technology Licensing Opportunity Acidtuned Terphenyl Membranes Atm
Deadline: 31 Aug 2026
Posting Date: 23 Jul 2026
Other Information
Notice Type: Tender
TOT Ref.No.: 145753882
Document Ref. No.: S-195397
Competition: ICB
Financier: Self Financed
Purchaser Ownership: Public
Tender Value: Refer Document
Purchaser's Detail
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Tender Details
Acid-tuned Terphenyl Membranes (ATM) from Los Alamos National Laboratory delivers a fundamentally smarter approach to hydrocarbon proton exchange membrane design, replacing the brute-force strategy of adding more sulfonic acid groups with a precise molecular tweak that strengthens each acid site individually. By installing an electron-withdrawing unit next to the sulfonic acid group, the membrane achieves higher proton conductivity while cutting water uptake by more than half compared to its unmodified counterpart, a combination that provides a promising basis for improved dimensional stability and membrane durability. The result is a hydrocarbon platform that can rival perfluorinated incumbents on performance while opening a path to lower-cost, more sustainable clean energy hardware.
How it Works
ATM works by chemically tuning the acidity of the sulfonic acid groups that carry protons through the membrane, rather than simply adding more of them. A single electron-withdrawing unit is positioned adjacent to each sulfonic acid group along the polymer side chain, which makes it easier for the acid to release a proton and conduct it across the membrane. Because each acid site is intrinsically more effective, the polymer can hit competitive conductivity targets without needing the heavy sulfonation that normally causes a hydrocarbon membrane to swell, soften and lose its ion-transport channels under wet operating conditions.
Technical Description
The ATM platform uses a rigid terphenyl-based polymer backbone designed to carry sulfonic acid groups, the chemical sites responsible for moving protons across the robust membrane. The approach includes a baseline polymer with conventional sulfonic acid side chains and an engineered version in which a small fluorinated unit is placed directly next to each acid site. That efficient electron-withdrawing unit pulls electrons away from the acid group, which makes each site a stronger and more efficient proton donor. Beca...
Notice ID: s-195397
Department/Ind. Agency: energy, department of
Sub-tier: energy, department of
Office: triad - doe contractor
Product Service Code: an12 - health r&d services; health care services; applied research
NAICS Code: 325211 - Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing
Inactive Dates: aug 31, 2027
Inactive Policy: manual
Documents
Tender Notice