Review and critical analysis of the morphology of random ionomers across many length scales

Abstract

This review presents a description of what is known about ionomer morphology. All papers on ionomer morphology are not included in this review; but all relevant questions about ionomer morphology are posed and answered as completely as possible. The review is critical; that is, reasons are given for morphologies that are deemed to be more or less likely. The review is organized along three length scales: sub-nanometer, nanometer to 10 nm, and greater than 10 nm. Within each length scale, all three phases are considered: crystalline, amorphous, and ionic aggregate. The purity of the three phases, the arrangement of atoms in the three phases, the size and shape of the three phases, and their arrangements in space relative to each other are explored in this review. A model for the shape of aggregates in ionomers that have well-ordered internal environments is presented. This model proposes that aggregates are fundamentally planar, but will ''roll up'' into tubes or other related structures in order to reduce the number of atoms at aggregate edges. This model was developed primarily based on the varied morphologies ionomers have shown in electron micrographs, but is consistent with other indirect measurements of ionomer morphology.

An infrared spectroscopic study of the nature of zinc carboxylates in oil paintings

“…It was found that the ionic groups have a well-dened local structure and cluster to form ion-rich domains within the polymer matrix. [28][29][30] Interestingly, an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer completely neutralized by Zn 2+ ions shows a relatively broad n a COO À band at 1585 cm À1 , which is similar to the band we observed for the ZnO-LO system. 28 In order to test the ionomer interpretation, we attempted to produce a zinc ionomer from linseed oil.…”

Effects of carbon nanotubes on polymer physics

“…Further, dynamic phase separation of amorphous material is not limited to nanocomposites or semicrystalline polymers; ionomers can form very small phase separated ionic regions also can cause a loss of material participating in the glass transition. 233 From a dynamic perspective, the RAF, the immobilized amorphous component in a composite, and the immobilized amorphous component in ionomers seem to be identical; however, from a chain configuration/entanglement perspective the phenomena must be different.…”

Dynamics of Precise Ethylene Ionomers Containing Ionic Liquid Functionality

“…Consequently, much of the fundamental research conducted on these materials has been devoted to determination of the structure of ion aggregates and the correlation between structure and the resulting properties. 3 Ionomers have been used commercially as separators, as packaging materials, and in molding applications 4 and in recent years have been considered as candidate materials for energy storage devices (batteries and supercapacitors), in energy conversion (fuel cells), and for other electroactive materials applications. 5,6 Ionomers derived from copolymers of ethylene and methacrylic acid (MAA) have been well-known since the 1960s, principally due to their versatile mechanical properties and chemical stability.…”