Fast-cure ionogel electrolytes with improved ion transport kinetics at room temperature

Fast-cure 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate-based ionogels have been realised for the first time. The influence of curing temperature on the structure of ionogels and their performance as the electrolyte for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) has been investigated. Hybrid ionogels were synthesised via a non-hydrolytic sol-gel route and were fully gelled post heat-treating at 125, 150, 175 and 200 °C for 60 min with minimal shrinkage. Charge-transfer resistance (a rate-limiting parameter in cell kinetics during charge/discharge cycles) was reduced by ∼80% by increasing the heat-treatment temperature; this was partially attributed to the interlocking effect facilitated by high curing temperature. We report a maximum areal capacitance of 95 mF cm−2. Due to ∼40% increase in the penetrability coefficient of the ionic liquid, the electrode ‘full’ wetting time dropped from 48 to 5 h when the curing temperature was increased above 150 °C. These results were supported by SEM and Raman spectroscopy to characterise the effect of high temperature heat-treatment on the electrode-ionogel interface and the degree of electrode wetting by the ionic liquid. The fast-cure fabrication process for ionogels removes one of the major hurdles in their industrial application while the improved room temperature ion transport kinetics expands the potential application of ionic liquid-based electrochemical systems

A glucose biosensor based on novel Lutetium bis-phthalocyanine incorporated silica-polyaniline conducting nanobeads

The facile preparation of highly sensitive electrochemical bioprobe based on lutetium 13 phthalocyanine incorporated silica nanoparticles (SiO2(LuPc2)) grafted with Poly(vinyl 14 alcohol-vinyl acetate) itaconic acid (PANI(PVIA)) doped polyaniline conducting nanobeads 15 (SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-CNB) is reported. The preparation of CNB involves two stages (i) 16 pristine synthesis of LuPc2 incorporated SiO2 and PANI(PVIA); (ii) covalent grafting of 17 PANI(PVIA) onto the surface of SiO2(LuPc2). The morphology and other physico-chemical 18 characteristics of CNB were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy images show 19 that the average particle size of SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-CNB was between 180-220 nm. 20 The amperometric measurements showed that the fabricated SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-21 CNB/GOx biosensor exhibited wide linear range (1-16 mM) detection of glucose with a low 22 detection limit of 0.1 mM. SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-CNB/GOx biosensor exhibited high 23 sensitivity (38.53 μA mM−1 cm−2) towards the detection of glucose under optimized 24 conditions. Besides, the real (juice and serum) sample analysis based on a standard addition 25 method and direct detection method showed high precision for measuring glucose at 26 SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-CNB/GOx biosensor. The SiO2(LuPc2)PANI(PVIA)-CNB/GOx 27 biosensor stored under refrigerated condition over a period of 45 days retains ~ 96.4 % 28 glucose response current