Polymerized ionic liquids (poly(IL)s) are macromolecules with charged repeat units that are prepared from or structurally related to ionic liquids (ILs). The development of ordered, microphase-separated polymeric systems containing poly(IL) segments has considerable implications toward a range of transport-dependent, energy-based technology applications. A series of imidazolium-based noncharged-charged diblock copolymers with total of 50 repeat unit and repeat unit ratios range of 15:25 to 45:5 were synthesized by the direct, sequential atom-transfer radical polymerization of styrene and styrenic imidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonamide (Tf2N-) monomers. Size-exclusion chromatography and 1H NMR endgroup analysis confirmed low MW distributions and the expected block ratios. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies on the thermally annealed block copolymers showed that they can form different ordered nanostructures (i.e., sphere, hexagonal, and possibly gyroid phases) in their neat states via varying both the block ratio and the length of the alkyl side-chain (methyl, n-butyl, n-hexyl, and n-decyl) on the imidazolium monomer.

Synthesis and morphological phase behavior of ordered, microphase-separated, imidazolium-containing diblock copolymers made by ATRP

251st National Meeting (2016)

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