One-step radiation synthesis of novel star-shaped polymeric ionic liquid–POSS gel electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and mechanical properties for supercapacitor

• Published in: Journal of materials science 2020-12, Vol.55 (34), p.16347-16359
• Main Authors: Shi, Mengni, Lin, Tingrui, Wang, Yue, Hu, Yang, Peng, Jing, Li, Jiuqiang, Zhai, Maolin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Capacitors; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Comparative analysis; Compressive strength; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Electric properties; Electrochemical analysis; Electrolytes; Energy Materials; Gamma rays; Ion currents; Ionic liquids; Ions; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Polyelectrolytes; Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane; Polymer Sciences; Solid Mechanics; Solvents; Supercapacitors
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-05162-9

Polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) not only have the unique properties of ionic liquid, but also possess diverse mechanical properties of polymers. Due to their safety and conductivity, PILs-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are the promising candidates for the design of the devices. Here, we reported a facile approach to synthesize novel star-shaped GPE (named PIL–POSS–Li GPE) based on 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid, octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and LiPF 6 solution in one step via gamma-ray radiation. Compared with PIL–Li GPE without POSS, the incorporation of POSS into the PIL–Li GPE can improve properties of PIL–POSS–Li GPE due to the formation of a star-shaped structure, and the as-prepared PIL–POSS–Li GPE showed excellent compressive strength of 1617 kPa, high fracture compression stain of 79% and high ionic conductivity of 3.88 mS cm −1 at 25 °C. What is more, the PIL–POSS–Li supercapacitor (SC) showed better electrochemical performance than PIL–Li SC. Graphic abstract