Effect of polyacrylamide morphology templated using lyotropic liquid crystal on the proton conductivity of acid hydrogels

Abstract

Acid hydrogels composed of polymer network are promising soft electrolytes whose proton conductivities are most often regulated by acid contents. Herein, promotion of conductivity only by regulating polymer morphology is...

Lyotropic ionic liquid crystal gels derived from polyimidazolium hydrogen sulfate for enhanced proton conductivity

“…Alternatively, we prepared chemical LLC gels by in situ polymerization of neutral acrylamide evenly dispersed in aqueous [C 14 MIm][HSO 4 ] and EDBSA LLCs. 10,13 The chemically gelled LLCs were robust enough to be assembled into fuel cells, exhibiting both anisotropy of LC and viscoelasticity of hydrogels. Nevertheless, the resultant neutral polyacrylamide in the chemical LLC gels hindered proton transfer across the skeleton because it was electrochemically inert.…”

“…However, the physical LLC gels linked by weakly interacting noncovalent bonds were susceptible to gel–sol phase transitions at elevated temperatures, exhibiting limited mechanical strengths and thermal stabilities. Alternatively, we prepared chemical LLC gels by in situ polymerization of neutral acrylamide evenly dispersed in aqueous [C 14 MIm][HSO 4 ] and EDBSA LLCs 10,13 . The chemically gelled LLCs were robust enough to be assembled into fuel cells, exhibiting both anisotropy of LC and viscoelasticity of hydrogels.…”