Multifunctional Applications of Ionic Liquids in Polymer Materials: A Brief Review

Abstract

As a new generation of green media and functional materials, ionic liquids (ILs) have been extensively investigated in scientific and industrial communities, which have found numerous ap-plications in polymeric materials. On the one hand, much of the research has determined that ILs can be applied to modify polymers which use nanofillers such as carbon black, silica, graphene oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, etc., toward the fabrication of high-performance polymer composites. On the other hand, ILs were extensively reported to be utilized to fabricate polymeric materials with improved thermal stability, thermal and electrical conductivity, etc. Despite substantial progress in these areas, summary and discussion of state-of-the-art functionalities and underlying mechanisms of ILs are still inadequate. In this review, a comprehensive introduction of various fillers modified by ILs precedes a systematic summary of the multifunctional applications of ILs in polymeric materials, emphasizing the effect on vulcanization, thermal stability, electrical and thermal conductivity, selective permeability, electromagnetic shielding, piezoresistive sensitivity and electrochemical activity. Overall, this review in this area is intended to provide a fundamental understanding of ILs within a polymer context based on advantages and disadvantages, to help researchers expand ideas on the promising applications of ILs in polymer fabrication with enormous potential.

Adsorptive Membranes Incorporating Ionic Liquids (ILs), Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) or Graphene Oxide (GO) for Metal Salts Extraction from Aqueous Feed

“…Nevertheless, predicting IL properties and managing their inherent complexity can present certain challenges; therefore, generalizing their properties remains inaccurate [47]. Ionic liquids have shown great promise across a wide range of disciplines, including catalysis [48], polymer dissolution and transformation [49], physical chemistry [50], polymer science [51], cell biology [52], material science [53], electrochemistry [54], desalination [55], energy production [56], nuclear physics [57], medicinal chemistry [58], and various engineering fields [41]. For instance, one potential strategy relies on the inclusion of metal complexes as part of ionic liquids (ILs) as they aid the solubilization of metal complexes in nonaqueous environments.…”

Preparation of GNP/SBR thermal conductivity composites with high strength and toughness by synergistic construction of interfacial multiple non‐covalent and covalent bonds

“…IL S , as a new generation of green media and functional materials, are increasingly used in polymer materials, including rubber, plastics, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomers, and biopolymers, and have become the frontiers of current international scientific and technological research 15 …”