Issue 34, 2016

Anion exchange membranes with well-defined ion transporting nanochannels via self-assembly of polymerizable ionic liquids

Abstract

In this study, we present a facile method to construct highly ordered and well-defined ionic channels in anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) through in-phase photopolymerization of liquid crystals (LCs). Hexagonal and lamellar LC samples were prepared by the self-organization of polymerizable amphiphilic imidazolium-based ionic liquids. The preservation of LC nanostructures in the obtained polymeric membranes was confirmed by the combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polarized optical microscope (POM), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) measurements. Phase separations of LCs at the molecular level provided highly ordered and well-defined ionic channels for efficient anion conduction and meanwhile maintained a strong hydrophobic domain to suppress the swelling degree. The membranes synthesized in the present work provide a promising model system for understanding the idea of constructing ionic highways in AEMs through self-organization.

Graphical abstract: Anion exchange membranes with well-defined ion transporting nanochannels via self-assembly of polymerizable ionic liquids

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Jun 2016
Accepted
29 Jul 2016
First published
29 Jul 2016

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 13316-13323

Anion exchange membranes with well-defined ion transporting nanochannels via self-assembly of polymerizable ionic liquids

X. Gao, F. Lu, B. Dong, A. Wu, N. Sun and L. Zheng, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 13316 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA05223A

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