Design of thermoresponsive poly(ionic liquid) gels containing proline units to catalyse aldol reaction in water

Recent advances in poly(ionic liquid)s for biomedical application

Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) are polymers containing ions in their side-chain or backbone, and the designability and outstanding physicochemical properties of PILs have attracted widespread attention from researchers. PILs have specific characteristics, including negligible vapor pressure, high thermal and chemical stability, non-flammability, and self-assembly capabilities. PILs can be well combined with advanced analytical instruments and technology and have made outstanding contributions to the development of biomedicine aiding in the continuous advancement of science and technology. Here we reviewed the advances of PILs in the biomedical field in the past five years with a focus on applications in proteomics, drug delivery, and development. This paper aims to engage pharmaceutical and biomedical scientists to full understand PILs and accelerate the progress from laboratory research to industrialization.

Ultrastretchable and Stable Conductive Elastomer Based on Micro-Ionicgel for Wide-Working-Range Sensors

A facile route to novel stretchable conductive elastomers with micro-ionicgel acting as conductive fillers was developed via oil-in-oil Pickering emulsion polymerization of nonpolar monomers A and a mixture of polar monomers B and ionic liquids (ILs). Oil-in-oil Pickering emulsions were first fabricated by mixing n-butyl acrylate (n-BA), acrylic acid (AA), ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [EMIM]+[BF4]-), and alkyl vinyl-functionalized silica particles. The emulsion structure was directly observed using the dye-labeled AA-IL phase by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Upon polymerization, the IL-based conductive composite elastomers were obtained, where the continuous phase and the dispersed phase are poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) and poly(acrylic acid) containing ILs (PAA-ILs, referred to as micro-ionicgel), respectively. The PnBA matrix endows the formed elastomer with extremely large stretchability (up to 12 000% strain) and insensitivity to moisture. The micro-ionicgels PAA-ILs not only contribute to good conductivity but can also prevent the leakage of ILs upon stretching or folding. The electrical impedance-based stretchable sensors fabricated using this IL elastomer could detect various human motions including the bending of a finger, wrist, elbow, and knee. Therefore, the as-developed sensors show promising applications for human-machine interfaces of flexible wearable sensors.