Issue 7, 2024

Controlled mechanical properties of poly(ionic liquid)-based hydrophobic ion gels by the introduction of alumina nanoparticles with different shapes

Abstract

Ionic–liquid gels, also known as ion gels, have gained considerable attention due to their high ionic conductivity and CO2 absorption capacity. However, their low mechanical strength has hindered their practical applications. A potential solution to this challenge is the incorporation of particles, such as silica nanoparticles, TiO2 nanoparticles, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) into ion gels. Comparative studies on the effect of particles with different shapes are still in progress. This study investigated the effect of the shape of particles introduced into ion gels on their mechanical properties. Consequently, alumina/poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) double-network (DN) ion gels consisting of clustered alumina nanoparticles with various shapes (either spherical or rod-shaped) and a chemically crosslinked poly[1-ethyl-3-vinylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide] (PC2im-TFSI, PIL) network were prepared. The results revealed that the mechanical strengths of the alumina/PIL DN ion gels were superior to those of PIL single-network ion gels without particles. Notably, the fracture energies of the rod-shaped alumina/PIL DN ion gels were approximately 2.6 times higher than those of the spherical alumina/PIL DN ion gels. Cyclic tensile tests were performed, and the results indicate that the loading energy on the ion gel was dissipated through the fracture of the alumina network. TEM observation suggests that the variation in the mechanical strength depending on the shape can be attributed to differences in the aggregation structure of the alumina particles, thus indicating the possibility of tuning the mechanical strength of ion gels by altering not only particle kinds but its shape.

Graphical abstract: Controlled mechanical properties of poly(ionic liquid)-based hydrophobic ion gels by the introduction of alumina nanoparticles with different shapes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Dec 2023
Accepted
17 Jan 2024
First published
18 Jan 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Soft Matter, 2024,20, 1611-1619

Controlled mechanical properties of poly(ionic liquid)-based hydrophobic ion gels by the introduction of alumina nanoparticles with different shapes

Y. Mizutani, T. Watanabe, C. G. Lopez and T. Ono, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 1611 DOI: 10.1039/D3SM01626A

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