Polyelectrolyte as Solvent and Reaction Medium

A poly­(ionic liquid) with a rather low glass transition temperature of −57°C was synthesized via free radical polymerization of an acrylate-type ionic liquid monomer. It exhibits fluidic behavior in a wide temperature range from room temperature to the threshold of the thermal decomposition. We demonstrate that it could act as a unique type of macromolecular solvent to dissolve various compounds and polymers and separate substances. In addition, this poly­electrolyte could serve successfully as reaction medium for catalysis and colloid particle synthesis. The synergy in the solvation and stabilization properties is a striking character of this polymer to downsize the <i>in situ</i> generated particles

Hierarchically Structured Nanoporous Poly(Ionic Liquid) Membranes: Facile Preparation and Application in Fiber-Optic pH Sensing

Nanoporous polyelectrolyte membranes with hierarchical and unique pore architectures can be readily made via electrostatic complexation between imidazolium-based poly­(ionic liquid)­s and poly­(acrylic acid) in a variety of morphologies. Coating the membrane onto the surface of an optical fiber resulted in a device with high pH-sensing performance in terms of the response rate and the sensitivity, due to the charge and porous nature of the membrane layer