Ionic and electronic conductivities in carbon nanotubes – ionogel solid device

Abstract

Easy immobilisation of carbon nanofillers in a solid state device featuring mesopores filled with ionic liquid (IL) is presented. Such a route allows a good dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon fibers in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, subsequently followed by the confinement of the whole within a porous silica matrix. We thus obtain herein a new type of hybrid ionogel within a solid device containing a percolating IL network as its real liquid state, as well as presenting a percolating carbon network. The process is carried out within a single step, without any chemistry for covalent grafting. We show that an IL with a non π-conjugated cation allows good dispersion of the carbon nanotubes, with a subsequent percolation for a loading level lower than 3.6 wt%. Together with the dynamic IL properties of ionogels, we thus present herein an inorganic-solid host containing carbon nanofillers, which gives the solid device ionic and electronic conductivities.