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We used equilibrium and non-equilibrium atomistic simulations to probe the influence of anion chemistry on the true conductivity, dynamical correlations, and ion transport mechanisms in polymeric ionic liquids. An inverse correlation was found between anion self-diffusivities, ionic mobilities, and the anion size for spherical anions. While some larger asymmetric anions had higher diffusivities than smaller spherical anions, their diffusivities and mobilities did not exhibit a direct correlation to the anion volumes. The conductivity and anion dynamical correlations also followed the same trends as displayed by the diffusivity and mobility of anions. All the systems we examined displayed positively correlated motion among anions, suggesting a contribution that enhances the conductivity beyond the ideal Nernst–Einstein value. Analysis of ion transport mechanisms demonstrated very similar hopping characteristics among the spherical anions despite differences in their sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased micro-capacitance of a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix can effectively improve the piezoelectric properties of the composite material. This work used chemically modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the main reinforcement material. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used to graft polyionic liquids (PILs) with different hydrophilic anions to the CNTs' surfaces. Solution casting and compressive melt molding were used to prepare the PVDF-composite piezoelectric films. Micro-capacitance formed by the PIL grafted CNTs dispersed well in the PVDF matrix, and their effects on the crystalline form and piezoelectric properties were studied. The hydrophobic hexafluorophosphate anion (-PF6-) can significantly improve the CNTs dispersion and enhance the micro-capacitance formation in the PVDF matrix. During solution crystallization, the synergistic effect of CNTs and PIL on the PVDF and the solvent effect made the content of β phase of PVDF/CNTs@PIL-PF6 film reach 80.2%, resulting in a high dielectric constant of 188 and a piezoelectric coefficient of 36. In the process of melt crystallization, due to shear stretching and extrusion, the CNTs@PIL-PF6 had an obvious nucleation effect on the polar crystalline phase of PVDF, with a β phase content up to 99.3%, leading to the higher dielectric constant of 530 and the piezoelectric coefficient of 31. The current discovery provides a development direction for smart piezoelectric polymer matrix composites, which have great potential in preparing piezoelectric energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyionic liquid hydrogels attract increasing attention due to their unique properties and potential applications. However, research on amino acid‐based polyionic liquid hydrogels is still in its infancy stage. Moreover, the effect of amino acid types on the properties of hydrogels is rarely studied to date. In this work, amino acid‐based polyionic liquid hydrogels (D/L‐PCAA hydrogels) are synthesized by copolymerizing vinyl choline–amino acid ionic liquids and acrylic acids using Al3+ as a crosslinking agent and bacterial cellulose (BC) as a reinforcing agent. The effects of amino acid types on mechanical and antimicrobial properties are systematically investigated. D‐arginine‐based hydrogel (D‐PCArg) shows the highest tensile strength (220.7 KPa), D‐phenylalanine‐based hydrogel (D‐PCPhe) exhibits the highest elongation at break (1346%), and L‐aspartic acid‐based hydrogel (L‐PCAsp) has the highest elastic modulus (206.9 KPa) and toughness (1.74 MJ m−3). D/L‐PCAsp hydrogels demonstrate stronger antibacterial capacity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and D/L‐PCPhe hydrogels possess higher antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans. Moreover, the resultant hydrogels exhibit prominent hemocompatibility and low toxicity, as well as excellent self‐healing capabilities (86%) and conductivity (2.8 S m−1). These results indicate that D/L‐PCAA hydrogel provides a promise for applications in wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental and theoretical insights into robust PIL-Br@ZIF-8 hetero-frameworks for the selective conversion of CO 2 into cyclic carbonates under mild conditions. [Display omitted] • A novel strategy is developed for fabricating core–shell PILs@ZIF-8 composites. • PIL-Br@ZIF-8 enables simultaneous adsorption and activation of CO 2 and epoxide. • Low-concentration/low-pressure CO 2 conversion into cyclic carbonates was achieved. • PIL-Br@ZIF-8 is recyclable and exhibits good thermal and structural stability. • Valuable insight into the cycloaddition mechanism is theoretically elucidated. The present study, for the first time, reports the fabrication of core–shell poly(ionic liquids)@ZIF-8 nanocomposites through a facile in-situ polymerization strategy. These composites exhibited exceptional structural characteristics including high specific surface areas and the integration of high-density Lewis acid/base and nucleophilic active sites. The structure–activity relationship, reusability, and versatility of the poly(ionic liquids)@ZIF-8 composites were investigated for the cycloaddition reaction between CO 2 and epoxide. By optimizing the composites structures and their catalytic performance, PIL-Br@ZIF-8(2:1) was identified as an exciting catalyst that exhibits high activity and selectivity in the synthesis of various cyclic carbonates under mild or even atmospheric pressure or simulated flue gas conditions. Moreover, the catalyst demonstrated excellent structural stability while maintaining its catalytic activity throughout multiple usage cycles. By combining DFT calculations, we investigated the transition states and intermediate geometries of the cycloaddition reaction in different coordination microenvironments, thereby proposing a synergistic catalytic mechanism involving multiple active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li metal batteries with polymer electrolyte are of great interest for next-generation batteries for high safety and high energy density. However, uneven deposition on the lithium metal surface can greatly affect battery life. Therefore, surface modification on the Li metal become necessary to achieve good performance. Herein, an artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) modified lithium metal anode is prepared using cation-polymerization process, as triggered by PF5 generated from CsPF6. As a result, the polarization voltage of Li||Li symmetric battery assembled with artificial SEI-modified Li metal anode was stable with a small over-potential of 25 mV after 3000 h at current density of 1.5 mA cm−2. Electrochemical performance of Li||NCM 622 (LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2) full cell with soft-matter polymer electrolyte is significantly improved than bare Li-metal, the capacity retention is 75% after 120 cycles with N/P = 3:1 at a cut-off voltage of 4.3 V. Our work has shed lights on the commercialization of Li metal battery with polymer electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionogels, composed of ionic liquids and supporting networks, possess a plethora of exceptional properties, including nonvolatility, remarkable thermal and electrochemical stability, elevated mechanical strength, as well as outstanding ionic conductivity. Based on these extraordinary characteristics, ionogels have found extensive applications in diverse fields encompassing functional materials, sensors, soft electronics, solid electrolytes, and biomedicine. In recent years, ionogels have witnessed significant advancements and emerged as a highly popular subject matter. Consequently, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest progress made in the realm of ionogels. The preparation methods of ionogels are initially introduced following a concise introduction. Subsequently, the properties of ionogels, encompassing mechanical properties, high and low temperature resistance, ionic conductivity, stimuli-response properties, self-healing properties, recyclability and their structure-property relationships, are comprehensively discussed. Moreover, recent advancements in the utilization of ionogels in solid electrolytes, ionic skins, soft electronics, adhesions and other domains are also elaborated upon extensively. Finally, after a succinct summary, challenges and prospects regarding the future development of ionogels are thoroughly deliberated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixing the greenhouse gas CO2 through epoxide helps to mitigate worldwide ecological troubles. The applications of metal‐free and solvent‐free catalysts remain a challenge for CO2 catalytic conversion. In this work, an array of quaternary ammonium salts derived from polyethyleneimine with hydroxyl groups ([PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br) were constructed by the reaction of branched PEI with a molecular weight of 10000 and glycidyl alkyl dimethylammonium bromide. A range of experiments were designed to demonstrate that [PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br can be considered as a valid metal‐free and solvent‐free homogeneous catalyst for the CO2‐epoxide cycloaddition reaction. Among of [PEI‐GDMAB‐Cn]Br, [PEI‐GDMAB‐C18]Br catalyzed the model reaction of CO2 and epichlorohydrin under optimized reaction conditions (T=80 °C, 1.0 atm CO2, catalyst 1 mol%, ECH 15 mmol, 16 h) and the conversion achieved at 97.5 %. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited stable reusability and broad substrate applicability, which was used in the following cycle succinctly, because of self‐separated properties by temperature control. The [PEI‐GDMAB‐C18]Br catalyzed reaction process was detected as a pseudo‐first‐order reaction after kinetic studies and an Ea was calculated to be 50.65 kJ/mol. A combinatorial catalytic mechanism of hydrogen bonding and bromide ions is suggested to explain the remarkable catalytic performance of this bifunctional catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the microphase separation structure of membranes is considered an effective strategy to solve the trade-off problem, which can increase the conductivity and reduce the swelling. This article designs poly(aryl alkylene) AEMs with different aryl backbone chains (biphenyl, p-terphenyl and m-terphenyl), with the goal of examining the effect of spatial structure main chains on the membrane performance. It is found that the membrane (m-QTPNP) has a better microphase separation structure and a conductivity of 143.5 mS cm−1 (80 °C) via SAXS, TEM and AFM. Due to the lower IEC (2.23 meq g−1), m-QTPNP has a good anti-swelling performance. During tensile testing, the elongation at break of m-QTPNP can reach 105.5% (wet state). Moreover, due to the obvious microphase separation, the attack of OH− on the quaternized groups is reduced, and m-QTPNP has a conductivity retention rate of 95.5% (80 °C, 2 M NaOH, 1560 h). In addition, the peak power density (PPD) of the H 2 /O 2 single cell equipped with m-QTPNP can reach 749 mW cm−2 (80 °C). After 90 h of durability testing, the voltage decayed to 92.2%, with a decay rate of 0.54 mV h−1. • The m-QTPNP AEM shows excellent mechanical properties with elongation at break up to 105.5% in wet state. • The m-QTPNP AEM exhibits an ionic conductivity of 143.5 mS cm−1 at 80 °C. • The peak power density of m-QTPNP in a H 2 /O 2 single cell is 749 mW cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic oxygen reductive H2O2 production is a promising approach to alternative industrial anthraquinone processes while suffering from the requirement of pure O2 feedstock for practical application. Herein, we report a spaced double hydrogen bond (IC−H‐bond) through multi‐component Radziszewski reaction in an imidazole poly‐ionic‐liquid composite (SI‐PIL‐TiO2) and levofloxacin hydrochloride (LEV) electron donor for highly efficient and selective photocatalytic air reductive H2O2 production. It is found that the IC−H‐bond formed by spaced imino (−NH−) group of SI‐PIL‐TiO2 and carbonyl (−C=O) group of LEV can switch the imidazole active sites characteristic from a covered state to a fully exposed one to shield the strong adsorption of electron donor and N2 in the air, and propel an intenser positive potential and more efficient orbitals binding patterns of SI‐PIL‐TiO2 surface to establish competitive active sites for selectivity O2 chemisorption. Moreover, the high electron enrichment of imidazole as an active site for the 2e− oxygen reduction ensures the rapid reduction of O2. Therefore, the IC−H‐bond enables a total O2 utilization and conversion efficiency of 94.8 % from direct photocatalytic air reduction, achieving a H2O2 production rate of 1518 μmol/g/h that is 16 and 23 times compared to poly‐ionic‐liquid composite without spaced imino groups (PIL‐TiO2) and TiO2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic oxygen reductive H2O2 production is a promising approach to alternative industrial anthraquinone processes while suffering from the requirement of pure O2 feedstock for practical application. Herein, we report a spaced double hydrogen bond (IC−H‐bond) through multi‐component Radziszewski reaction in an imidazole poly‐ionic‐liquid composite (SI‐PIL‐TiO2) and levofloxacin hydrochloride (LEV) electron donor for highly efficient and selective photocatalytic air reductive H2O2 production. It is found that the IC−H‐bond formed by spaced imino (−NH−) group of SI‐PIL‐TiO2 and carbonyl (−C=O) group of LEV can switch the imidazole active sites characteristic from a covered state to a fully exposed one to shield the strong adsorption of electron donor and N2 in the air, and propel an intenser positive potential and more efficient orbitals binding patterns of SI‐PIL‐TiO2 surface to establish competitive active sites for selectivity O2 chemisorption. Moreover, the high electron enrichment of imidazole as an active site for the 2e− oxygen reduction ensures the rapid reduction of O2. Therefore, the IC−H‐bond enables a total O2 utilization and conversion efficiency of 94.8 % from direct photocatalytic air reduction, achieving a H2O2 production rate of 1518 μmol/g/h that is 16 and 23 times compared to poly‐ionic‐liquid composite without spaced imino groups (PIL‐TiO2) and TiO2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to efficiently separate CO2 from other light gases using membrane technology has received a great deal of attention due to its importance in applications such as improving the efficiency of natural gas and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A wide range of materials has been employed for the fabrication of membranes. This paper highlights the work carried out to develop novel advanced membranes with improved separation performance. We integrated a polymerizable and amino acid ionic liquid (AAIL) with zeolite to fabricate mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The MMMs were prepared with (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride [VBTMA][Cl] and (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium glycine [VBTMA][Gly] as the polymeric support with 5 wt% zeolite particles, and varying concentrations of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium glycine, [BMIM][Gly] (5–20 wt%) blended together. The membranes were fabricated through photopolymerization. The extent of polymerization was confirmed using FTIR. FESEM confirmed the membranes formed are dense in structure. The thermal properties of the membranes were measured using TGA and DSC. CO2 and CH4 permeation was studied at room temperature and with a feed side pressure of 2 bar. [VBTMA][Gly]-based membranes recorded higher CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selectivity compared to [VBTMA][Cl]-based membranes due to the facilitated transport of CO2. The best performing membrane Gly-Gly-20 recorded permeance of 4.17 GPU and ideal selectivity of 5.49. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined high ionic conductivity and high mechanical properties are the requirements of the electrolyte membrane for alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Quaternary ammonium groups functionalized MXene as filler could improve the mechanical strength and ionic conductivity of membrane. In this work, a Quaternized poly(p-terphenylene piperidinium) (QPAP) /Quaternary MXene(NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x)/QPAP triple-layer membrane was fabricated. The OH− ionic conductivity of the triple-layer QPAP/NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x /QPAP membrane is 0.121 S cm−1 at 80 °C, which is around 53 % higher than that of the pristine QPAP. The QPAP/NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x /QPAP membrane exhibits peak power density of 540 mW cm−2. The improved conductivity and performance of AEM could be attributed to the quaternary ammonium groups on the NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x surface as the vehicle for OH− transport. The QPAP/NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x electrolyte membrane was also observed to exhibit high stability. Moreover, QPAP/NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x /QPAP with a three-layer structure membrane exhibits a high tensile strength (TS, ∼68 MPa) and high elongation at break (EB, ∼21 %), which reach about three times that of the pristine QPAP membrane. • NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x could provide more hopping sites and construct hydroxide ion transfer channels. • The QPAP/NH 4 –Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x /QPAP three layers membrane exhibits a substantial increase for fuel cell performance. • The active surface with terminated –NH 4 + groups renders Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 T x a useful nanoblock in AAEMFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High-density ionic active centers (2.014–4.883 mmol g-1) and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs) were integrated into diamide-linked PIMDILs (PMAIL-x and PBAIL-2) catalysts successfully. • The interfacial synergistic effects between the diamide HBDs and high-density ionic active centers promotes the CO 2 conversion under ambient pressure. • The formation of hydrogen bonds at the catalytic reaction interface can effectively activate CO 2 and epoxides substrates. • PMAIL-2 possesses the highest catalytic activity, which can convert various epoxides into cyclic carbonates in excellent yields and selectivity (>99 %). The ionic active centers and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs) in heterogeneous catalytic materials are highly beneficial for enhancing the interaction between solid–liquid-gas three-phase interfaces and promoting effective fixation of carbon dioxide (CO 2). Diamide-linked imidazolyl poly(dicationic ionic liquid)s catalysts PIMDILs (PMAIL-x and PBAIL-2) were synthesized through the copolymerization of diamide-linked imidazolyl dicationic ionic liquids (IMDILs) with divinylbenzene (DVB), which successfully enable the simultaneous construction of high-density and uniformly distributed ionic active centers (2.014–4.883 mmol g−1) and hydrogen-bond donors (HBDs). The as-synthesized PIMDILs present excellent catalytic activity in promoting the cycloaddition of CO 2 with epoxides. PMAIL-2 could convert epichlorohydrin (ECH) with a quantitative conversion of 99.8 % (selectivity > 99 %) under ambient pressure. Furthermore, only a decrease in activity of 5 % was observed even after six cycles of recycling. The excellent conversions (>97.3 %) were achieved for various terminal substituted epoxides. The experimental and characterization results reveal that the high-density ionic active centers and amide HBDs can effectively activate the reaction substrates, their synergistic effect plays a crucial role at the catalyst interface. This work is expected to provide some useful insights for the rational construction of heterogeneous catalysts for CO 2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solar-driven interface evaporation is promising to alleviate the fresh water scarcity in an economical and sustainable way. However, most of currently reported photothermal conversion materials (PMs) are time-consuming costly, inefficient, or complex preparation process, which causes low utilization efficiency, and difficult to be practical for large-scale application. To solve this problem, a facile and green strategy for preparing hydrogel evaporator (SiO 2 -PILs/starch) by grafting poly(ionic liquid)s onto silica and doping it with starch is proposed. Benefiting from the broad solar absorption (ca. 91 %), strong hydrophilic, and superb salt tolerance and stain resistance of SiO 2 -PILs/starch. Under 1 sun irradiation, the SiO 2 -PILs/starch achieves a remarkable solar evaporation efficiency of 91.72 % in pure water and 81.45 % in 20 wt% NaCl solution, respectively. In particular, SiO 2 -PILs/starch exhibited outstanding long-term salt stability (8 h) and crystalline salt can be self-cleaned in the dark environment. It is worth noting that the prepared hydrogel also possesses a satisfied evaporation efficiency of 75.84 % in oily wastewater (3 wt% n -hexadecane solution) due to its excellent water retention. These properties of SiO 2 -PILs/starch may provide desperately needed solution for efficient desalination and guaranteed high applicability and durability in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) with excellent flame retardant is mainly obtained by adding large amounts of flame retardants, usually at the expense of mechanical properties. In this work, a reactive flame retardant containing phosphorus and nitrogen (DOPO-N) was successfully synthesized and incorporated in UPR as a crosslinker. The mechanical and flame-retardant properties of UPR composites were enhanced. UPR/30DOPO-N passed a UL-94 V-1 rating with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 30.8%. The tensile strength of UPR/30DOPO-N increased by 24.4%. On this basis, a small amount of modified HNTs (VHNTs) was added to further improve the flame-retardant properties of the composite. With the introduction of 3 wt% VHNTs, the composite passed the UL-94 V-0 rating. The peak of heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of it decreased by 60.7% and 48.3%, respectively. Moreover, the detailed flame-retarding mechanism of DOPO-N and VHNTs was investigated by thermogravimetric infrared spectroscopy (TG-IR), Raman spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that DOPO-N played a role in quenching the flame in the gas phase and cooperated with VHNTs to enhance the barrier effect in the condensed phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of the current anion exchange polyelectrolytes (AEPs) is challenging to meet the requirements of both high performance and durability in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs). Herein, highly‐rigid‐twisted spirobisindane monomer is incorporated in poly(aryl‐co‐aryl piperidinium) backbone to construct continuous ionic channels and to maintain dimensional stability as promising materials for AEPs. The morphologies, physical, and electrochemical properties of the AEPs are investigated based on experimental data and molecular dynamics simulations. The present AEPs possess high free volumes, excellent dimensional stability, hydroxide conductivity (208.1 mS cm−1 at 80 °C), and mechanical properties. The AEMWE of the present AEPs achieves a new current density record of 13.39 and 10.7 A cm−2 at 80 °C by applying IrO2 and nonprecious anode catalyst, respectively, along with outstanding in situ durability under 1 A cm−2 for 1000 h with a low voltage decay rate of 53 µV h−1. Moreover, the AEPs can be applied in fuel cells and reach a power density of 2.02 W cm−2 at 80 °C under fully humidified conditions, and 1.65 W cm−2 at 100 °C, 30% relative humidity. This study provides insights into the design of high‐performance AEPs for energy conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) possessing attractive electrochemical performance are essentially required for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a poly(imidazolium ionic liquid-co-ethylene oxide) (PILEO) is synthesized via a facile one-pot poly-Radziszewski reaction. The incorporated PILEO can reduce the crystallinity of the obtained SPEs, and hence facilitates lithium ion migration. It is demonstrated that the developed PILEO-60 SPE, without adding any plasticizers or inorganic fillers, exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 1.78 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 25 ℃ and a wide electrochemical stability window of 4.9 V (vs. Li/Li+). The assembled LFP/PILEO-60/Li cell possesses a high discharge capacity (140 mAh g−1 at 25 ℃), good cycling performance (90.3% of capacity retention after 100 cycles), and stable coulombic efficiency (99.7%). In combination with the industrially feasible synthetic procedure of PILEO, this work provides a facile and effective strategy for the fabrication of high-performance LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) and ionic liquids (ILs) to create porous ionic liquids (PILs) is highly significant for efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and the advancement of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. To further investigate the CO2 capture characteristics of different PILs, two different‐sized ZIF‐8 structures and two functionalized ILs were prepared. Additionally, the enhancement factor of the reaction process was calculated using the dual‐film theory and mass transfer coefficient. The results demonstrated that the original [PMIm]Cl had low CO2 absorption capacity at ambient temperature and pressure, whereas the functionalized ILs had a maximum CO2 capture capacity of approximately.31 mol/mol, with the 20 wt% concentration of tetraethylene pentamine‐2‐methylimidazole ([TEP][MIm]) exhibiting the highest CO2 capture capacity of around 1.93 mol/mol. The synthesized PILs demonstrated a maximum CO2 capture capacity of approximately 2.22 and 2.16 mol/mol at 20 and 10 wt% ionic concentrations, respectively, with a porous ionic liquid addition of 1.0/100 g. The corresponding enhancement factors were 1.53 and 1.59, respectively. These findings have significant implications for CCUS technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing triethylenediamine (DA), 1,3-propanesultone (PS), whose ring opens during the formation of the dizwiterion-intermediate DA-2PS, and the metal chlorides XCly, where X = Sn(IV), Zn(II),Al(III), Fe(III) and Mn(II), are used for the synthesis of five kinds of acidic metal-based functionalized ionic liquid catalysts ([DA-2PS][XCly]2). Their chemical structures, thermal stability and dual acidic active site were analyzed. We investigated the performance of [DA-2PS][XCly]2 in catalyzing the esterification reaction between 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and ethylene glycol (EG) to synthesize poly (ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)(PEF). Among the catalysts tested, [DA-2PS][SnCl5]2 exhibited the best catalytic performance under identical process parameters, and the optimal catalyst dosage was determined to be 0.05 mol% based on FDCA. The optimal conditions for the reaction were predicted using response surface methodology: a feed ratio of EG:FDCA = 1.96:1, an esterification temperature of 219.86 °C, a polycondensation temperature of 240.04 °C and a polycondensation time of 6.3 h, with a intrinsic viscosity of 0.67 dL·g−1. The resulting PEF was experimentally verified to exhibit an intrinsic viscosity of 0.68 dL·g−1 and a number average molecular weight of 28,820 g·mol−1. Finally, the structure and thermal properties of PEF were characterized. The results confirmed that PEF possessed the correct structure, exhibited high thermal stability and demonstrated excellent thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a poly (ionic liquid) functionalised silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles were synthesised for the first time and utilised as a novel adsorbent for the simultaneous extraction of six phthalic acid esters from polyethylene terephthalate bottled drinking water samples. The adsorbent was prepared by grafting poly (1-benzyl-3-vinyl-1 H-imidazol-3-ium chloride) onto silica-coated Fe3O4nanoparticles via Cu(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerisation method. Various techniques were used to characterise the synthesised nanomaterials. A qualitative analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple–quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Response surface methodology based on central composite design was used to optimise the extraction procedure and the optimised condition for each factor was; pH of3.9, 22 mg of adsorbent, 3.5 min extraction time, 3 min desorption time, 340 µL of elution solvent (methanol).The results of the validation of the method indicated its acceptable accuracy (88.6-100.1%), good linearity (r > 0.995), satisfactory repeatabilities (RSDs ≤ 6% for intra- and inter–day precisions) and high enrichment factors (535–572). The limits of detection and limits of quantification of the proposed method achieved were 1.1-4.6 ngL–1and 3.6-15.3 ngL–1, respectively. In this study, six common PAEs, including dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n–octyl phthalate, were found in PET bottled water within the range of 0.21-0.94 μgL–1, under different storage conditions. Nevertheless, only a negligible risk is caused by the PAEs in PET bottled water for consumers following the recommendations, such as storing at a common place (25°C), in a short period away from the sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, five 2‐ or 6‐ functionalized azulenes are electropolymerized to form azulene homopolymers. All five poly(azulenes) films exhibited electrochromism, with a two‐stage oxidation corresponding to the formation of the azulenium cation and the polaron, respectively. Electron‐donating groups at the 2‐position of azulene were found to greatly increase the poly(azulenes) film stability, with retention of optical contrast about four times as much as the 6‐alkylazulene analogue. This result demonstrates the potential of azulene functionalization as a strategy to improve the long‐term stability of electropolymerized azulenes, enabling applications in both optoelectronics as well as in ion selective electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen (H)‐bonding‐integration of multiple ingredients into supramolecular polyelectrolyte nanoporous membranes in water, thereby achieving tailor‐made porous architectures, properties, and functionalities, remains one of the foremost challenges in materials chemistry due to the significantly opposing action of water molecules against H‐bonding. Herein, a strategy is described that allows direct fusing of the functional attributes of small additives into water‐involved hydrogen bonding assembled supramolecular poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) nanoporous membranes (SPILMs) under ambient conditions. It discloses that the pore size distributions and mechanical properties of SPILMs are rationally controlled by tuning the H‐bonding interactions between small additives and homo‐PIL. It demonstrates that, benefiting from the synergy of multiple noncovalent interactions, small dye additives/homo‐PIL solutions can be utilized as versatile inks for yielding colorful light emitting films with robust underwater adhesion strength, excellent stretchability, and flexibility on diverse substrates, including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. This system provides a general platform for integrating the functional attributes of a diverse variety of additives into SPILMs to create multifunctional and programmable materials in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we reported a novel emulsion copolymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) with amphipathic monomer poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) by using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as emulsifier and K2S2O8/NaHSO3 as redox initiator. Owing to the multifunctionality of PEGMA that can serve as co-monomer and 'emulsifier', the emulsion copolymerization is achieved successfully and the interesting results demonstrate quite different features such as:(1) the stable P[(VC)-co-(PEGMA)] latex is obtained only when the mass ratio of PEGMA > 10% (to total monomer mass), (2) a small amount of ionic emulsifier SDS is required to achieve a stable latex, and (3) the mechanism of the micellar formation is different from the typical emulsion polymerization. Unexpectedly, the obtained copolymer formed high content of gel fraction which is mainly caused by the chain transfer reaction of the PVC growth chain radical to the hydrogen atom of the methylene from alkoxy (-OCH2CH2-) of the PEGMA oligomer chain. However, it could be inhibited effectively by the addition of chain transfer agent 2-mercaptoethanol (2-MCE). Subsequently, the properties of as-obtained P[(VC)-co-(PEGMA)] copolymer are evaluated carefully and it exhibited unique features such as self-plasticization, lower Tg (decreased from 83.1 to 59.6 °C), higher heat resistance (increased from 270 to 290 °C), hydrophilic, and high transparent in comparison to pure PVC. These outstanding features of the P[(VC)-co-(PEGMA)] copolymer offered a potential route for the functional modifications of PVC and broadened its further use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium nanoparticles stabilised by aniline modified polymer immobilised ionic liquid is a remarkably active catalyst for the hydrogenation of CO2 to formate; the initial TOF of 500 h−1 is markedly higher than either unmodified catalyst or its benzylamine and N,N-dimethylaniline modified counterparts and is among the highest to be reported for a PdNP-based catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of applications of ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents for organic synthesis have been reported in recent years, but the use in polymer synthesis is still limited. In the last few years, it has been shown that ILs can also be advantageously used for polymer synthesis. The thermal stability of polymerized ionic liquids is of great interest as it is applied to solid state electrolytes for electrochemical and electromechanical applications. In this study, the bulk copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium hexafluorophate (VbimPF6), 1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium hexafluorophate (VhimPF6) 1-vinyl-3-octylimidazolium hexafluorophate (VoimPF6), 1-vinyl-3-octyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (VoimBF4) at 70 °C were separately proceeded at ILs doping levels of 2 mass%, 5 mass% and 8 mass%. Then the oxidative and non-oxidative thermal stability of copolymers were investigated as a function of copolymer compositions in comparison with PMMA homopolymer. Copolymerization of ILs can significantly improve the thermal stability and thermal oxidative stability of copolymers by 100 °C and 30 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, the thermal stability under nitrogen and air atmosphere increased with increasing of ILs composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionenes are poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) comprising a polymer backbone with ionic groups along the structure. Ionenes as solid–solid phase change materials are a recent research field, and some studies have demonstrated their potential in thermal dissipation into electronic devices. Eight ionenes obtained through Menshutkin reactions were synthesized and characterized. The analysis of the thermal tests allowed understanding of how the thermal properties of the polymers depend on the aliphatic nature of the dihalogenated monomer and the carbon chain length. The TGA studies concluded that the ionenes were thermally stable with T10% above 420 °C. The DSC tests showed that the prepared ionenes presented solid–solid transitions, and no melting temperature was appreciated, which rules out the possibility of solid–liquid transitions. All ionenes were soluble in common polar aprotic solvents. The hydrophilicity of the synthesized ionenes was studied by the contact angle method, and their total surface energy was calculated. Self-healing behavior was preliminarily explored using a selected sample. Our studies show that the prepared ionenes exhibit properties that make them potential candidates for applications as solid–solid phase change materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) was grafted onto cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) via transesterification in an ionic liquid and solution polymerization in water. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x‐ray diffraction were used to determine the structure and morphology of the PBA‐modified CNW (CNW‐g‐PBA). Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/CNW‐g‐PBA nanocomposites were prepared by solution casting. The inclusion of CNW‐g‐PBA significantly increased the composite strength, toughness, and thermal stability. The maximum tensile strength and elongation‐at‐break values were approximately 28% and 268%, respectively, higher than those of PLA. The fracture surface showed typical ductile fracture characteristics. The glass‐transition temperature raised from 56.7 for PLA to 60.3°C for CNW‐g‐PBA (5 wt% PBA), and the crystallinity rose from 1.6% to 10.3%. These findings show that the modification of nanowhiskers increased their compatibility with, and dispersion in, PLA. These results show that a combination of surface‐functionalized CNWs and PLA provides biocomposites with a broad range of applications, for example, in packaging and biomedical products. Highlights: CNW‐g‐PBA was prepared by transesterification and solution polymerization route.PLA/CNW‐g‐PBA exhibited strong and tough performance.Compatibility mechanism have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of energy storage technology, the operation of portable and wearable devices is inseparable from high energy density power supplies. However, the demand for high performance supercapacitors in movable smart electronics is still restrained by their insufficient areal capacitance and limited power/energy densities. In addition, some electroactive materials, including metal oxides, conductive polymers, graphene, porous carbons, etc., are inevitable to use extra adhesives for the preparation of electrode materials. In this work, integrated hierarchical graphitic porous carbon membranes used as the electrodes without adhesives are successfully synthesized, via pyrolyzing poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs)‐metal organic frameworks (MOFs) composite membranes. The asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled by the carbonized PIL‐MOF composite membrane and PILs‐derived porous carbon membrane, and exhibits significant areal capacitance with remarkable power and energy densities. In the two‐electrode system, the areal capacitance can reach 9.5 F cm−2 with an energy density of 1.91 mWh cm−2. In the fabricated all‐solid‐state supercapacitors, the areal capacitance and energy density achieved 3.2 F cm−2 and 0.65 mWh cm−2, respectively, exceeding most reported ones. Therefore, the integrated carbon membrane electrodes with high areal capacitance reveal great potential in miniaturized devices, and further show a wider application scope through regulating PILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic ionic skins (i‐skins) have received intensive attention because of their capabilities to emulate various functions of human skin. However, challenges still remain in developing i‐skins with synergistic characteristics such as excellent mechanical properties, high strain sensitivity, freezing tolerance, and antimicrobial activity by a simple method. Herein, a hydrogel‐based i‐skin (P(AAc‐co‐CA)x) is facilely synthesized by one‐pot free radical copolymerization of vinyl choline‐asparagine ionic liquid (Cho‐Asn VIL) and acrylic acid (AAc) monomers using Al3+ as a crosslinker and bacterial cellulose (BC) as reinforcing agent, respectively. The resultant hydrogels integrate multiple excellent performances, including skin‐like modulus (100–300 KPa), superstretchability (2345 ± 97%), high self‐healing efficiency (93.7 ± 4.6%), recovery ratio (139.3 ± 7%) and conductivity (1.28 ± 0.06 S m−1), as well as transparency, self‐adhesiveness, antimicrobial activities, and biocompatible properties. Moreover, the i‐skins based on P(AAc‐co‐CA) x hydrogels exhibit high sensitivity (gauge factor (GF) of 2.77), rapid response time (300 ± 15 ms), and excellent durability to both tensile and compressive deformation, and thus can be used to monitor and distinguish human motions. Significantly, P(AAc‐co‐CA) x hydrogels can still maintain notable mechanical property, conductivity, and sensibility even at −20 °C. These integrated multiple advantages make P(AAc‐co‐CA) x hydrogels highly promising in the fields of i‐skins, flexible wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a simple and efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the cycloaddition of epoxides with CO2 under atmospheric pressure and cocatalyst-/metal-/solvent-free conditions remains a great challenge. Herein, poly(ionic liquid)s (P-[VRIm]Br-crosslinker-x) with unique adsorption-swelling ability toward epoxides are designed and facilely synthesized via free radical polymerization in water. The adsorption-swelling of epoxides by P-[VRIm]Br-crosslinker-x is controllable, reversible, and widespread, resulting from the strong interactions between the poly(ionic liquid)s and epoxide molecules, especially the hydrogenbonding interaction. Superior CO2 cycloaddition is realized in the P-[VRIm]Br-crosslinker-x catalyst through the adsorption-swelling effect. Specifically, P-[VC6Im]Br-C8-5% with 54.1 mmol g-1 adsorptionswelling ability toward styrene oxide achieves 89.3% yield and >99% selectivity in the cycloaddition of styrene oxide with CO2 to styrene carbonate under mild conditions (1 atm, 80 °C) without cocatalyst/metal/solvent consumption. Moreover, P-[VC6Im]Br-C8-5% can be easily recovered by deswelling, and shows good reusability and stability after five cycles for a total of 180 h. The adsorption-swelling property of P-[VRIm]Br-crosslinker-x to epoxides not only prompts the active centers to be fully exposed to the reactants but also induces the enrichment of epoxides during the whole catalytic process, thus accelerating the CO2 cycloaddition reaction rate. This work furnishes new insights for improving the activity of CO2 cycloaddition and would guide the design of efficient poly(ionic liquid) catalysts for atmospheric CO2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Electrolytes based on poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) have attracted great attention in the fields of next‐generation solid lithium‐ion batteries. However, the low ionic conductivity prevents their practical applications. Herein, we report novel solid electrolytes based on block copolymers composed of PILs and comb‐like poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which were synthesized via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of 3‐(2‐(bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐en‐2‐yl)ethyl)‐1‐butyl‐1H‐imidazol‐3‐ium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl) amide and poly(ethylene glycol monomethyl ether) bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐ene‐2‐carboxylate. Comb‐like PEG acts as plasticizers in block copolymers dominated by PILs to promote the mobility of PILs segments. Effects of the copolymer composition and length of the comb‐like PEG chain on ionic conductivity were investigated. The optimized electrolyte delivers the highest ionic conductivity of 1.5 × 10–5 S·cm–1 at 30 °C, and robust electrochemical stability up to 4.6 V. A solid‐state Li/LiFePO4 cell using the optimized electrolyte demonstrates good cycle performance at 0.2 C with high capacity retention of 92% after 70 cycles at 50 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used plastics in the world. Due to the large production and use of this plastic, its waste represents one of the most critical environmental problems. The purpose of this study is to convert PET waste into a valuable material. The consumed PET was transformed into a precursor to synthesize a polyionic liquid (PIL) that was used for dehydrating crude oil emulsions. To do so, the consumed PET was converted to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). First, BHET and tetraethylene glycol were reacted separately with thionyl chloride, obtaining the corresponding alkyl halides, bis(2-chloroethyl) terephthalate, BCET, and TEC, respectively. Next, the obtained alkyl halides, BCET and TEC, were reacted with 1,5-pentanediamine, yielding a polymer (BTP). Finally, BTP was reacted with acetic acid to produce the corresponding PIL (BTP–PIL). The structure and thermal stability of BTP–PIL were characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. The dehydration performance of PIL and the original polymer was investigated using the bottle test method, including several factors such as demulsifier dose, brine content, temperature, and settling time. Results indicated that PIL achieved high performance in dehydrating crude oil emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Coffee provides to the consumer special sensorial characteristics, can help to prevent diseases, improves physical performance and increases focus. In contrast, coffee consumption supplies a significant source of substances with carcinogenic and genotoxic potential such as furan, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural (F), and acrylamide (AA). The present review addresses the issues around the presence of such toxic substances formed in Maillard reaction (MR) during thermal treatments in food processing, from chemical and, toxicological perspectives, occurrences in coffee and other foods processed by heating. In addition, current strategies advantages and disadvantages are presented along with application of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) and poly (ionic liquid) s (PIL) as an alternative to reduce the furan, HMF, F and AA content in coffee and other foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) were synthesized, characterized, and applied in breaking waterin-oil (W/O) emulsions. For that, tetraethylene glycol (TG) was treated with thionyl chloride, obtaining dialkyl chloride (TC). TC was reacted with diamines 1,5-diaminopentane (AP) and 1,11- diaminoundecane (AU), forming the corresponding polyamines, TC-AP and TC-AU. Following this, TC-AP and TC-AU were quaternized with acetic acid (AA), producing poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs), TCAPPIL, and TCAU-PIL, respectively. Chemical structures, thermal stability, surface activity, aggregation size, and zeta potential measurements were investigated using several techniques. In addition, their performance in breaking (PB) W/O emulsions in different ratios was investigated. TCAP-PIL and TCAU-PIL exhibited high PB at all ratios, while their performance improved as the crude oil ratio decreased. Moreover, TCAU-PIL showed higher PB than TCAP-PIL, which may be linked to the increased hydrophobicity of TCAU-PIL due to increased methylene units in the diamine chain compared to TCAP-PIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the alkali stability and OH− conductivity of Poly (styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS)-based anion exchange membranes (AEMs), double cations with different alkyl intervals are remotely grafted onto the SEBS skeleton with hexyl as a linker through reactions such as acylation and ketone reduction. Then, SEBS-0.8Cn-0.2C6 cross-linked membranes were prepared to study the effect of the length of the alkyl chain between the dications on the ion transport and other properties. The OH− conductivity of SEBS-0.8C4-0.2C6 cross-linked membrane can reach 85.27 mS cm−1 at 80 °C, and the peak power density can reach 225 mW cm−2 at a current density of 450 mA cm−2. As the dicationic spacer alkyl chains became longer, the swelling rate and water uptake of the membranes increased, resulting in significant improvements in mechanical properties and chemical stability. After soaking in 2 M NaOH solution at 80 °C for 1200 h, the conductivity of SEBS-0.8C6-0.2C6 decreased by only 5.76%. Optimizing the side chain structure of SEBS skeleton can effectively improve the comprehensive performance of AEM. • Prepared SEBS-based cross-linked membranes with hexyl-spacer side-chain cations. • Remote grafted alkyl spacer cations improve alkali stability and OH- conductivity. • Optimizing the side-chain of SEBS skeleton improve the overall performance of AEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated graft polymerization of an epoxide monomer, 1,2-butylene oxide (BO), from cellulose in an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl))/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent. The cellulose solution was prepared by immersing a cellulose/BMIMCl solution in NMP. Cellulose in the resulting homogeneous solution was treated with sodium hydride to generate alkoxides, and the mixture was then heated in the presence of BO with stirring under desired conditions for progress of the ring-opening graft polymerization. The 1H NMR and IR spectra of the isolated products suggested occurrence of the graft polymerization to produce polyether (poly(1,2-butylene oxide))-grafted celluloses. The degrees of polymerization of the graft chains were estimated after acetylation of their terminal hydroxy groups to be values up to 5.92, obtained by the reaction at 80 °C for 3 d. The X-ray diffraction results suggested that cellulose chains in the products did not form crystalline structure. The products with the shorter graft chains were soluble in higher polar organic solvents and partly soluble in moderate organic solvents. Solubility for the latter solvents was improved with increasing the graft chain lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core–shell polyionic liquids were successfully constructed to reduce the amount of bulk ionic liquids and realize heterogeneous catalysis in the reaction of CO2 conversion into carbonate. The core–shell polyionic liquid structure is formed by one-step surface polymerization with cheap and readily available SiO2 as the carrier. By optimizing the ratio of ionic liquid monomer to SiO2, PIL@SiO2(1:1.5) of high activity and low ionic liquid dosage was successfully obtained, and only 40% of bulk ionic liquid dosage was used to achieve high activity of quasi-homogeneous phase (PO conversion 95.5%). Combined with the characterization and mechanism study, it was found that at an appropriate ratio (1:1.5), good mesoporous structure and a certain extent dispersion of polyionic liquid can make the active site better dispersed to facilitate the simultaneous activation of multiple molecules, which is the reason for the high activity. In addition, the core–shell structure also has good substrate suitability and recyclability stability. This study provides good ideas for the development of low-cost heterogeneous ionic liquid catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the outstanding proton conductivity of phosphoric acid (PA)-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes as high-temperature proton exchange membranes (HT-PEMs), chemical stability is a critical issue for the operation life of PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, we introduced polymerized [HVIM]H2PO4 ionic liquids (PIL) into an OPBI membrane to accelerate proton transfer and enhance the chemical stability of the membrane. Based on the regulation of the intrinsic viscosity of PIL, the entanglement between PIL chains and OPBI chains is enhanced to prevent the loss of PIL and the oxidative degradation of membrane materials. The PIL/OPBI membrane with the intrinsic viscosity of 2.34 dL·g−1 (2.34-PIL/OPBI) exhibited the highest proton conductivity of 113.9 mS·cm−1 at 180 °C, which is 3.5 times that of the original OPBI membrane. The 2.34-PIL/OPBI membrane exhibited the highest remaining weight of 92.1% under harsh conditions (3 wt% H2O2; 4 ppm Fe2+ at 80 °C) for 96 h, and a much lower attenuation amplitude than the OPBI did in mechanical strength and proton conductivity performance. Our present work demonstrates a simple and effective method for blending PIL with OPBI to enhance the chemical durability of the PA-PBI membranes as HT-PEMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, chemical recycling to monomer (CRM) has emerged as an advanced strategy to deal with post-consumer plastics. However, because it usually takes a long time to react at a relatively high temperature, CRM suffers from side reactions and energy consumption issues. In this work, a Brønsted–Lewis acid ionic liquid/polyhydroxy-compound system ([Et3NH][ZnCl3]/pentaerythritol) was developed as a bifunctional reagent for dissolving poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and highly efficiently catalysing its CRM. In situ addition of the polyhydroxy-compound significantly prevented the formation of byproduct, i.e., cyclic PPDO, by converting it back to depolymerizable linear PPDO. Therefore, both the CRM efficiency and selectivity were obviously improved. At 160 °C, PPDO was almost fully depolymerized to the PDO monomer in only 8 minutes with 99.9% GC purity of yield. Moreover, [Et3NH][ZnCl3]/pentaerythritol could be reused at least 5 times without post-processing and its chemical structure and efficiency remained intact. According to the kinetic study, the activation energy of depolymerization was calculated to be 64.81 kJ mol−1, half lower than the traditional method. Based on NMR titration, the catalytic mechanism was discussed. Importantly, according to the assessment of the energy economy factor, environmental factor, and environmental energy impact factor, the strategy developed in this work is better than all of the related works in greenness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals has become an imminent research topic and the cycloaddition of CO2 with a C1 resource to produce cyclic carbonates is a promising pathway for CO2 utilization. Herein, a series of POSS-based polyionic liquids (PILs) were synthesized by the copolymerization of octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with an imidazolium ion linker. The prepared PILs have the characteristics of hydrogen bond donors, halogen atom sites, stable pore structures, and thermal stability, and are used as heterogeneous catalysts for the cycloaddition of epoxides with carbon dioxide. The effect of linkers on the cycloaddition is investigated by tuning the ratio of POSS units to imidazolium ions. Under the optimized conditions, the conversion of epichlorohydrin can reach 99.18% at atmospheric pressure with neither co-catalysts nor solvents. It is concluded that the reaction of the cycloaddition of epoxides with carbon dioxide follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Moreover, the presence of the catalysis of PILs leads to a significant decrease in the activation energy barrier for cycloaddition. The catalyst can be facilely recovered due to its high stability, and only a slight decrease in conversion was observed after five successive runs. In addition, the mechanism of PILs catalyzing the cycloaddition reaction of epoxides with CO2 is proposed. This work not only provides a sustainable and green process for CO2 cycloaddition, but also highlights the potential of using PILs for CO2 utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to develop new and improved oil-water separation materials with high stability and reusability for the cleanup of oily environmental pollutants. Here, fluorinated poly(ionic liquid)s were synthesized and their structure and property were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. These fluorinated poly(ionic liquid)s were proposed as superhydrophobic coating on different metallic substrates through the combination of tethering fluorine groups in the PIL's cation and anion exchange, and the superhydrophobic coating showed compactly stacked morphology under scanning electron microscope. The results of surface wettability experiments indicated that nearly all the fabricated materials showed a water contact angle larger than 150°, which is devoted to superhydrophobic nature. Moreover, for longer alkyl chain ILs and materials with smaller pore sizes, the water contact angle can be increased. At the same time, the fabricated superhydrophobic material exhibits a relatively high oil phase permeate flux, benefiting from the loose fibrous structure. Take the PIL@SSM300 for instance, the permeate fluxes were reached as high as 374,370 L·m−2·h−1, 337,200 L·m−2·h−1 and 302,013 L·m−2·h−1 for petroleum ether, hexane and cyclohexane, respectively. Instead, water is effectively repelled from the superhydrophobic surface. These virtues make the fabricated superhydrophobic material an effective membrane for oil/water separation under gravity. The separation efficiency and water contact angle are nearly unaffected after at least 20 cycles, confirming the excellent robustness of the coatings. These efficient poly(ionic liquid)s-based superhydrophobic materials possessed the potential to be used for oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic sensors that mimic human skin perception have received enormous attention in human motion detection and human–robot interaction. However, the narrow working range limits the response linearity of mechanical stimuli. Especially the ultrafast active response is needed to detect and react to the potential collision. Inspired by the skin structure, a hierarchical structure with poly(ethylene oxide)‐based ionic conductive polymer electrolytes and polyurethane is designed. The observable synergistic sensing mechanism works throughout the compression process, providing the device with a continuous change in electrical response with excellent linearity (R2 = 0.998) over a broad range (100 Pa–500 kPa). The compressive deformation and corresponding mechanical behavior of hierarchical structures are dynamically and simultaneously observed by using in situ electron microscopy at the atomistic scale. Furthermore, a biomimetic skin is established in the human–robot interaction system, which can provide active and efficient collision avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphiphilic double poly(imidazole ionic liquid) grafted silica (SMIL-n) was prepared by radiation grafting of hydrophilic 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide and hydrophobic 1-vinyl-3-octylimidazolium bromide at different ratio onto silica. The adsorption behavior of SMIL-n was investigated. The adsorption equilibrium could reach less than 45 min, and their adsorption capacity were 152–171 mg/g obtained from Langmuir model. The selectivity of SMIL-n to ReO4− increased with the increasing content of hydrophobic ionic liquid. SMIL-n displayed good reusability, excellent acid resistance and irradiation resistance. Particularly, SMIL-n showed promising for ReO4− uptake from simulated contaminated Beishan groundwater and radioactive wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pertechnetate (TcO4−) poses long-term potential radioactive hazards to the ecological environment, so it is an urgent challenge to selectively separate TcO4− from radioactive wastewater. In this work, we firstly developed a series of binary ionic liquid functionalized silica (SiO2-g-PC2-CnvimBr) by simultaneous radiation grafting of the hydrophilic ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazole bromide ([C2VIm]Br) and hydrophobic ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-alkylimidazolium ([CnVIm]Br, n = 4, 6, 8, and 12) onto silica for the removal of ReO4− as an analogue of TcO4−; single ionic liquid functionalized silica (SiO2-g-PC2vimBr) was also synthesized for comparison. The effects of absorbed dose and RAFT agent content on grafting yield were investigated. The grafting yield (GY) increased with increasing absorbed dose and decreasing RAFT agent content. SiO2-g-PC2-CnvimBr showed excellent acid and irradiation resistance; the adsorption efficiency was still more than 90% after soaking in acid solution for 3 months or after being irradiated at 1000 kGy. SiO2-g-PC2-CnvimBr presented superior selectivity for ReO4− over SiO2-g-PC2vimBr. Furthermore, the continuous uptake of ReO4− using SiO2-g-PC2-CnvimBr with varying alkyl chain lengths of hydrophobic imidazolium was investigated and compared in the simulated radioactive wastewater. It was found that the relative column adsorption capacity and selectivity increased with increasing alkyl chain length of hydrophobic imidazolium. In addition, SiO2-g-PC2-C8vimBr displayed excellent reusability; the adsorption capacity did not change and the desorption efficiency could reach 97% in the flow-through column cycle experiment. On the basis of experimental results, SiO2-g-PC2-CnvimBr was deemed to be promising for continuous separation of TcO4−/ReO4− in the practical treatment of radioactive wastewater and TcO4− contaminated groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to prepare a low-cost and efficient acidic heterogeneous catalyst for the conversion of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural under mild reaction conditions, the acidity of halloysite was improved by covalent grafting of an acidic polyionic liquid. More precisely, halloysite was first vinyl functionalized and then polymerized with vinyl imidazole and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid. The tangling imidazole rings were further converted to acidic ionic liquids by treating them with chlorosulfuric acid. UV–Vis spectroscopy and Hammett equation confirmed that conjugation of acid polyionic liquid resulted in the increase of the acidity of halloysite. Investigation of the efficiency of the catalyst for the synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and optimization of reaction variables showed that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was yielded in 97.8% after 30 min under the optimum conditions, i.e. catalyst loading of 20 wt% at 70 °C. Notably, the catalyst was highly reusable and it could be reused for at least seven reaction runs with insignificant loss of its activity. Furthermore, this catalyst could also promote the conversion of sucrose and maltose to give moderate yields of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report an exciting synthetic procedure for the scalable and controllable fabrication of covalently crosslinked poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) nanoporous membranes (CPILMs) in water solution under ambient conditions. We found that the pore sizes, flexibility and compositions of freestanding CPILMs can be finely tailored by a rational structural choice of PIL, diketone and aldehyde. Studies on the CPILM formation mechanism revealed that hydrogen bonding‐induced phase separation of amino‐functionalized homo‐PIL between its polar and apolar domains coupled with structural rearrangements due to the Debus Radsizewski reaction‐triggered ambient covalent crosslinking process created a stable three‐dimensionally interconnected pore system in water solution. Employing structurally stable CPILMs in ion sieving devices resulted in an excellent Li+/Mg2+ separation efficiency due to the positively charged nature and "Donann" effects. This green, facile yet versatile approach to the production of CPILMs is a conceptually distinct and commercially interesting strategy for making useful nanoporous functional polyelectrolyte membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report an exciting synthetic procedure for the scalable and controllable fabrication of covalently crosslinked poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) nanoporous membranes (CPILMs) in water solution under ambient conditions. We found that the pore sizes, flexibility and compositions of freestanding CPILMs can be finely tailored by a rational structural choice of PIL, diketone and aldehyde. Studies on the CPILM formation mechanism revealed that hydrogen bonding‐induced phase separation of amino‐functionalized homo‐PIL between its polar and apolar domains coupled with structural rearrangements due to the Debus Radsizewski reaction‐triggered ambient covalent crosslinking process created a stable three‐dimensionally interconnected pore system in water solution. Employing structurally stable CPILMs in ion sieving devices resulted in an excellent Li+/Mg2+ separation efficiency due to the positively charged nature and "Donann" effects. This green, facile yet versatile approach to the production of CPILMs is a conceptually distinct and commercially interesting strategy for making useful nanoporous functional polyelectrolyte membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite polymer electrolytes (CSEs) that simultaneously possess superior electrochemical performances with robust mechanical properties are highly desired to the application of high‐energy lithium metal batteries. Herein, a novel dual‐polymer@inorganic network CSE (DNSE@IN) through a sequential nonhydrolytic sol‐gel reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and the semi‐interpenetration of poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropene)‐hexafluoropropylene (P(VDF‐HFP)) with poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) is proposed. DNSE@IN, which has a robust dual‐polymer@inorganic networks, not only has high ionic conductivity (0.53 mS cm−1 at 20 °C), but also exhibits an outstanding Young's modulus of 723.2 MPa. As a result, the DNSE@IN based Li/LiFePO4 and Li/Li1.17Ni0.27Co0.05Mn0.52O2 (Li‐rich) cells exhibit remarkable cycling stability from room temperature (RT) to 100 °C. As‐assembled Li/Li‐rich battery shows superior cyclability of 194.3 mAh g−1 after 70 cycles at 4.3 V under RT. Additionally, the scale‐up high‐voltage Li/Li‐rich pouch cells exhibit excellent cyclability (nearly 100% capacity retention after 93 cycles) and superior flexibility, safety at RT for potential practical applications. As such, the work of decoupling ionic conductivity and mechanical properties opens a novel route to develop novel CSEs for the construction of high‐energy lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali-resistant metal-based cationic polyelectrolytes are designed as anion exchange membranes. After grafting aminocobaltocene hexafluorophosphates onto partially fluorinated ether-free poly(arylene–alkane)s via a simple nucleophilic substitution reaction, the membrane exhibits excellent chemical, thermal and mechanical stability, high hydroxide conductivity, as well as durability of single cells for 400 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]