(397a) Nanostructured Membranes and Functional Materials Based on Polymerized Ionic Liquids (Invited Talk)

Ionic liquids (ILâ??s) have been suggested for applications as diverse as solubilizing cellulose, antimicrobial treatments, and electrolytes in batteries due to their molten salt properties. We have recently discovered that a polymerized cation (such as imidazolium) is an excellent host for any associated anion. As a result, polymerized ionic liquids are not just solid counterparts to ILâ??s, but are excellent vectors for the inclusion of a massive variety of functionalities ranging from multi-valent ions for batteries to magnetic anions. Moreover, PIL block copolymers allow orthogonal control over mechanical and morphological properties, ultimately leading to a conceptual framework for processable, tunable, multifunctional materials. In this talk, I will discuss a class of protic polymerized ionic liquids (PILs) based on imidazolium cations which exhibit high ionic conductivities in the solid state. Further, the scaling of conductivity with IL loading, domain spacing, and temperature will be explored and polyelectrolyte block copolymers.