Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as a novel class of chemical compounds for the development of advanced (multi)functional materials with outstanding potential in applications of several areas due to their unique properties and functionalities. The combination of ILs with polymers, in a composite, allows for developing smart materials, which synergistically combine the features of specific polymers and ILs. Moreover, ILs can be extensively modified by the incorporation of functional groups with specific properties into the cation, anion, or both. Thus, it is possible to tune the IL, the polymer, or both to obtain a broad spectrum of multifunctional composites and address the specific requirements of many applications. This work focusses on advanced materials and strategies concerning ILs and polymers for the development of smart IL/polymer‐based materials for applications including responsive and sensitive sensors, actuators, environment, batteries, fuel cells, and biomedical applications.

The electroactive β-phase of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) can be nucleated by introducing CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles within the polymer matrix, leading to electroactive materials with large potential for sensor and actuator applications. The effects of the CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticle electrostatic charge on the phase crystallization of PVDF polymer is reported. For this purpose, CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were coated with anionic (SDS), nonanionic (Triton X-100), and cationic (CTAB) surfactants, and the obtained coated nanoparticles were used as fillers. It is found that the piezoelectric β-form of the polymer increases when CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles with higher negative electrostatic charge are added. This behavior is attributed to the interaction between the negatively charged magnetic particles and the polymer CH 2 groups, having a positive charge density. Further the relationship between the β-phase content and the piezoelectric response has been demonstrated. The magnetostriction of the ferrite nanoparticles and the proven piezoelectricity of the polymer allows the use of the material in piezoelectric and magnetoelectric sensors or/and actuators.

This work reports on the influence of polarization and morphology of electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, on the biological response of myoblast cells. Non-poled, ''poled +'' and "poled-" -PVDF were prepared in the form of films. Further, random and aligned electrospun -PVDF fiber mats were also prepared. It is demonstrated that negatively charged surfaces improve cell adhesion and proliferation and that the directional growth of the myoblast cells can be achieved by the cell culture on oriented fibers. Therefore, 10 the potential application of electroative materials for muscle regeneration is demonstrated.

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Photocatalysis has become an attractive process to remove contaminants from aquatic environments, with TiO 2 being the most widely used photocatalyst. In spite of the advantages of the process, two main problems still have to be overcome: reutilization/recycling of TiO 2 nanoparticles, which is a time-consuming and expensive process, and the fast recombination rate of the electron−hole pairs. This work reports on the photocatalytic activity of rare earth metal doped (erbium, Er) and codoped (erbium and praseodymium, Er/Pr) TiO 2 nanoparticles immobilized in a poly(vinylidene difluoride)−trifluoroethylene (PVDF−TrFE) copolymer membrane as a suitable strategy to overcome the aforementioned limitations. It is shown that doped and codoped nanoparticles were successfully immobilized into the PVDF−TrFE membranes, with a controllable degree of porosity. A high surface area (273 m 2 /g) was attained for these nanoparticles. The low band gap (2.63 eV) of these TiO 2 -modified nanoparticles, coupled with a highly porous structure (∼75%) of the membrane microstructure, synergistically envisages the best photocatalytic performance by degrading 98% of a solution of methylene blue after 100 min of exposure to UV.

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Polymer-based piezoelectric biomaterials have already proven their relevance for tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, the morphology of the scaffolds plays also an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. The present work reports on poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a biocompatible, biodegradable, and piezoelectric biopolymer that has been processed in different morphologies, including films, fibers, microspheres, and 3D scaffolds. The corresponding magnetically active PHBV-based composites were also produced. The effect of the morphology on physico-chemical, thermal, magnetic, and mechanical properties of pristine and composite samples was evaluated, as well as their cytotoxicity. It was observed that the morphology does not strongly affect the properties of the pristine samples but the introduction of cobalt ferrites induces changes in the degree of crystallinity that could affect the applicability of prepared biomaterials. Young’s modulus is dependent of the morphology and also increases with the addition of cobalt ferrites. Both pristine and PHBV/cobalt ferrite composite samples are not cytotoxic, indicating their suitability for tissue engineering applications.