Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are liquids at room temperature and represent a new class of nonaqueous but polar solvents with high ionic conductivity. The conductivity property of carbon nanotubes/RTILs and carbon microbeads/RTILs composite materials has been studied using ac impedance technology. Enzyme coated by RTILs-modified gold and glassy carbon electrodes allow efficient electron transfer between the electrode and the protein and also catalyze the reduction of O2 and H2O2.

Abstract2,2′,3,3′‐Oxydiphthalic dianhydride (2,2′,3,3′‐ODPA) and 2,3,3′,4′‐ODPA were synthesized from 3‐chlorophthalic anhydride with 2,3‐xylenol and 3,4‐xylenol, respectively. Their structures were determined via single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. A series of polyimides derived from isomeric ODPAs with several diamines were prepared in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) with the conventional two‐step method. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight spectra showed that the polymerization of 2,2′,3,3′‐ODPA with 4,4′‐oxydianiline (ODA) has a greater trend to form cyclic oligomers than that of 2,3,3′,4′‐ODPA. Both 2,2′,3,3′‐ODPA and 2,3,3′,4′‐ODPA based polyimides have good solubility in polar aprotic solvents such as DMAc, dimethylformamide, and N‐methylpyrrolidone. The 5% weight‐loss temperatures of all polyimides were obtained near 500 °C in air. Their glass‐transition temperatures measured by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis or differential scanning calorimetry decreased according to the order of polyimides on the basis of 2,2′,3,3′‐ODPA, 2,3,3′,4′‐ODPA, and 3,3′,4,4′‐ODPA. The wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction of all polyimide films from isomeric ODPAs and ODA showed some certain extent of crystallization after stretching. Rheological properties revealed that polyimide (2,3,3′,4′‐ODPA/ODA) has a comparatively lower melt viscosity than its isomers, which indicated its better melt processability. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3249–3260, 2003