(108c) Polymerized Ionic Liquid Block Copolymers: Highly Versatile Ion Conductors

Polymerized ionic liquid (PIL) block copolymers constitute a distinct set of block copolymers that are a relatively new type of polymer electrolyte. These new materials have recently been synthesized by several research groups for applications ranging from energy storage and production to gas and water purification. PIL block copolymers combine the advantageous properties of both PILs and block copolymers and are synthetically highly versatile with numerous cation and anion chemistries available. Specifically, the unique physiochemical properties of PILs, such as high solid-state ionic conductivity, high chemical, thermal and electrochemical stability, and widely tunable physical properties (e.g., via anion exchange), are incorporated in the block copolymer architecture, which allows for self-assembly into a range of nanostructures, where morphology type and domain size are tunable. In this talk, a variety of PIL block copolymers synthesized in our research group will be discussed along with the impact of various chemistries and chain architectures on the solid-state morphology and ion conductivity. The application of these materials to fuel cells and batteries will also be discussed.