Polymeric ion gels: Preparation methods, characterization, and applications
Résumé
In this chapter, we have summarized the preparation methods, properties, and applications of ion gels. Ion gels or ionogels are a new type of gels where the liquid phase, percolating throughout the solid phase, is an ionic liquid. Ion gels are attractive materials especially due to its good ionic conductivity, electrochemical and chemical stability, nonflammability, thermal stability, negligible vapor pressure, solid-like behavior, and tunable flexibility. Inorganic or polymeric materials can be used as gelators in combination with ionic liquids to synthesize ion gels. However, this chapter is mainly focused in the development of ion gels using polymeric materials such as triblock copolymers, fluorinated polymers, or poly(ionic liquids) as gelators. In the first part of the chapter, the different preparation methods of ion gels such as swelling a polymer in an ionic liquid, solution casting, or direct polymerization of monomers in an ionic liquid were described, whereas in the second part of the chapter, the applications of ion gels were reported. Good ionic conductivity makes them suitable for electrolytic membranes, which can provide also wide electrochemical window, flexibility, ease of handling, and reliability to the electrolyte. Therefore, many examples have been recently reported about the development of energy storage and about production devices based on ion gels, such as batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, supercapacitors, or actuators. The more recent use of ion gels in other applications, such as sensors, optoelectronics or bioelectronics, catalytical membranes, separation membranes, and in drug release, was finally discussed. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.