Formation of Polymer–Ionic Liquid Gels Using Vapor Phase Precursors

Abstract

We studied a new method for preparing polymer–ionic liquid (IL) gels via deposition of vapor phase precursors onto thin layers of IL. The solubility of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate enabled polymerization at both the IL–vapor interface and within the IL layer. We observed a transition from a viscous liquid to a gel with increasing polymer concentration. At short deposition times, there were two distinct molecular weights reflecting polymerization at the IL–vapor interface and within the IL layer, while at longer deposition times the molecular weight distribution within the IL layer broadened. The polymer chains within the IL were orders of magnitude larger than the polymer chains at the IL–vapor interface, and increasing the reactor pressure was shown to increase the molecular weight. Our ability to form high molecular weight polymer chains allows for the formation of gels for utilization as fuel-cell membranes and thin-film transistors.

Rapid, microwave-assisted thermal polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate-supported ionogels

“…Additionally, chemical vapor deposition and alternative polymerization strategies that require on the order of minutes have been reported. 41,42 UV-initiated polymerizations can also be employed to create ionogels in several minutes according to some reports; [30][31][32] however, this is still not as rapid as is demonstrated here for microwave processing (Fig. 1), which can be as fast as 10-25 s.…”

Influences of liquid electrolyte and polyimide identity on the structure and conductivity of polyimide–poly(ethylene glycol) materials

“…A wide range of ionic liquids have been doped in numerous polymers for polymer electrolyte and sensor applications. Some specific polymers that have been doped with ionic liquids for various applications include: sulfonated poly(ether ketone), polyurethane, poly(propylene carbonate), poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl chloride), cellulose triacetate, poly(styrene‐ b ‐methyl methacrylate), poly(styrene‐ b ‐methyl methacrylate), poly(styrene‐ b ‐methylbutylene), poly(styrene‐ b −2‐vinylpyridine), polybutadiene, poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride‐ co ‐hexafluoropropylene), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(ethyleneimine), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly( n ‐isopropylacrylamide), polysulfides, polysulfone, and polyimides . A large portion of the work involving ionic liquids in PEMs has involved the use of ionic liquids as anhydrous ion vehicles .…”

Vapor Deposition of Silicon-Containing Microstructured Polymer Films onto Silicone Oil Substrates

“…The absorption of monomer molecules in the liquid substrate has been shown to affect the morphology of the deposited polymer. , A QCM was used in this research to study 1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (V4D4), ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA), and tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO) absorption in the silicone oil at the relevant reactor conditions. We have previously shown , that QCM measurements can be used as an indicator of whether a certain precursor only adsorbs on the surface of a liquid substrate versus absorbing in its bulk. By first measuring the mass uptake on a bare gold surface and then on the same surface coated by a thin layer of liquid, one can readily distinguish whether only adsorption versus absorption takes place, since in the former case, the mass uptakes are quite similar and the adsorbed amounts on a bare gold surface and on a liquid-coated gold surface are, typically, close to each other.…”