A reversible supramolecular assembly containing ionic interactions and disulfide linkages†
Abstract
An ionic polymeric network based on a disulfide diphosphonium ionic liquid and a tetraanion was designed and studied in order to explore two self-assembly strategies: weak covalent bonds and ionic interactions. When the disulfide diphosphonium ionic liquid was complexed with a multianion, a crosslinked network structure was obtained. By applying external stimuli such as temperature or inducing a mild redox reaction, the network could be disrupted. The disruption/formation of the network is reversible. The thermal, rheological and electrochemical properties were also studied to further characterize these materials and to better understand the resulting structure–property relationships.
- This article is part of the themed collection: Bioinspired systems in supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology