Ph.D. student Ainur Yerzhankyzy, working under the guidance of Prof. Ingo Pinnau at the Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Research Center, was awarded the 'Best Poster Presentation' at the 12th conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS 12) held in Jeju, Korea on July 2 – 5, 2019.
AMS 12 is an important conference that brings scientists together from around the world to share professional experiences, expand their professional networks, and receive updates on the latest advances in the field of membrane sciences and technology.
Ainur received this recognition for her poster entitled: ‘Gas separation performance of mechanically robust thermally-rearranged polybenzoxazoles derived from an intrinsically microporous dihydroxyl-functionalized triptycene diamine-based polyimide.’
The winning poster highlighted her ongoing Ph.D. research on the improvement of the gas separation properties of polyimides of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-PIs) by solid-state thermal modification.
“Thermally treated polymers have demonstrated promising results in addressing the challenges of gas separation membranes such as chemical stability and plasticization resistance,” Ainur explains.
"We investigate how heterocyclic ring systems formed upon heat treatment change the chemical structure of a polymer and its gas transport property,” she adds.
Of her award win, she notes, “this award signifies the importance and high quality of our work, and definitely, it motivates me to work harder. I am very thankful to my supervisor and my colleagues for guidance and continuous support”.
