ABSTRACT
Composite polymeric and ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes are some of the most promising electrolyte systems for safer battery technology. Although much effort has been directed towards enhancing the transport properties of polymer electrolytes (PEs) through nanoscopic modification by incorporating nano-fillers, it is still difficult to construct ideal ion conducting networks. Here, a novel class of three-dimensional self-assembled polymeric ionic liquid (PIL)-functionalized cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) confining ILs in surface-grafted PIL polymer chains, able to form colloidal crystal polymer electrolytes (CCPE), is reported. The high-strength CNC nano-fibers, decorated with PIL polymer chains, can spontaneously form three-dimensional interpenetrating nano-network scaffolds capable of supporting electrolytes with continuously connected ion conducting networks with IL being concentrated in conducting domains. These new CCPE have exceptional ionic conductivities, low activation energies (close to bulk IL electrolyte with dissolved Li salt), high Li+ transport numbers, low interface resistances and improved interface compatibilities. Furthermore, the CCPE displays good electrochemical properties and a good battery performance. This approach offers a route to leak-free, non-flammable and high ionic conductivity solid-state PE in energy conversion devices.
ABSTRACT
Using the versatility of silica chemistry, we describe herein a simple and controllable approach to synthesise two-dimensional (2D) silica-based nanomaterials: the diversity and utility of the resulting structures offer excellent platforms for many potential applications.
ABSTRACT
Polymer-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (polymer-FG), produced as individually dispersed graphene sheets, offers new possibilities for the production of nanomaterials that are useful for a broad range of potential applications. Although non-covalent functionalization has produced graphene with good dispersibility and a relatively complete conjugated network, there are few reports related to the effective functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using a simple, general method. Herein, we report a facile and effective approach for the preparation of polymer-FG from a non-covalently functionalized pyrene-terminal polymer in benzoyl alcohol (BnOH). This aromatic alcohol (BnOH) was used as the liquid medium for the dispersion of graphene oxide (GO) with a pyrene-terminal polymer, and as an effective reductant; this makes the synthesis procedure convenient and the production of polymer-FG easily scalable because the conversion of GO to RGO and the non-covalent functionalization proceed simultaneously. The resulting polymer-FG sheets show organo-dispersibility, high electrical conductivity and good processability, and have a similar grafting density comparable to covalently made materials, thus making them promising candidates for applications such as electrochemical devices, nanomaterials and polymer nanocomposites. Hence, this work provides a general methodology for preparing individually dispersed graphene sheets with desirable properties.
ABSTRACT
The alcohols, methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol (EG), and glycerol, were used as reducing agents for iron(III)-catalyzed activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerizations (AGET ATRPs) of methyl methacrylate in polar solvents (N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, or acetonitrile). The effects of the iron catalyst, initiator and alcohol on polymerization were investigated, and most of the systems showed the typical features of controlled radical polymerization. In studies of the ATRP behavior, polymerizations were well controlled with a linear increase in the molecular weight (Mn) versus conversion in agreement with the theoretical one, and low molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn) were observed throughout the reactions. To gain a deeper understanding of the iron(III)/polar solvent-mediated ATRP, the polymerizations of various monomers (methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and n-butyl methacrylate) were also investigated.
ABSTRACT
In this study, we used electrospinning to fabricate nucleobase-functionalized and photo-cross-linkable poly[1-(4-vinylbenzyl uracil)] (PVBU) nanofibers. PVBU of high-molecular-weight (Mn > 250 550 g/mol) possessed a high thermal stability and sufficient chain entanglement to produce uniform fibers without forming beads. These uracil-functionalized nanofibers were further photo-cross-linked through exposure to UV light at a wavelength of 254 nm. After immersing in N,N-dimethylacetamide, the pristine PVBU fibers dissolved, while the cross-linked PVBU fibers maintained their shape; thus, the cross-linked PVBU nanofibers exhibited good dimensional stability and improved solvent resistance.
ABSTRACT
An alkyne-bearing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) core was used to prepare POSS-containing polymer hybrids using 'grafting to' or 'grafting from' strategies in combination with reversible chain transfer and click chemistry.
ABSTRACT
Uracil-terminated telechelic sulfonated polyimides (SPI-U) were transformed into noncovalent network membranes through biocomplementary hydrogen bonding recognition in the presence of an adenine-based crosslinking agent. SPI-U membrane exhibited dramatically improved methanol permeability, oxidative stability, proton conductivity, and selectivity relative to those of the standard SPI.
