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Chai S, Xu F, Zhang R, Wang X, Zhai L, Li X, Qian HJ, Wu L, Li H. Hybrid Liquid-Crystalline Electrolytes with High-Temperature-Stable Channels for Anhydrous Proton Conduction. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:21433-21442. [PMID: 34886669 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c11884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modern electrochemical and electronic devices require advanced electrolytes. Liquid crystals have emerged as promising electrolyte candidates due to their good fluidity and long-range order. However, the mesophase of liquid crystals is variable upon heating, which limits their applications as high-temperature electrolytes, e.g., implementing anhydrous proton conduction above 100 °C. Here, we report a highly stable thermotropic liquid-crystalline electrolyte based on the electrostatic self-assembly of polyoxometalate (POM) clusters and zwitterionic polymer ligands. These electrolytes can form a well-ordered mesophase with sub-10 nm POM-based columnar domains, attributed to the dynamic rearrangement of polymer ligands on POM surfaces. Notably, POMs can serve as both electrostatic cross-linkers and high proton conductors, which enable the columnar domains to be high-temperature-stable channels for anhydrous proton conduction. These nanochannels can maintain constant columnar structures in a wide temperature range from 90 to 160 °C. This work demonstrates the unique role of POMs in developing high-performance liquid-crystalline electrolytes, which can provide a new route to design advanced ion transport systems for energy and electronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchao Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Fengrui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Rongchun Zhang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Molecular Science and Engineering (MoSE), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xiaoliang Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Liang Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Hu-Jun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Lixin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Haolong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
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Liu Z, Wang Z, Yin Y, Jiang R, Li B. A simulation study of the self-assembly of ABC star terpolymers confined between two parallel surfaces. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:5336-5348. [PMID: 33950058 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00271f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The phase behavior of ABC star terpolymers confined between two identical parallel surfaces is systematically studied using a simulated annealing method. Several phase diagrams are constructed for systems with different bulk phases or with different interfacial interaction strength ratios in the space of surface distance (D) and surface preference for different arms, or in the space of D and the arm-length ratio x. Phases, including tiling patterns [6.6.6], [8.8.4], [8.6.6; 8.6.4], [8.6.6; 8.6.4; 10.6.6; 10.6.4] and hierarchical lamellar structures of lamella + cylinders and lamella + rods, are identified both in the bulk and in the films. Our results suggest that the self-assembled structure of a phase is largely controlled by x, while an increase of the interfacial interaction strength ratio shifts the x-window for each phase to the smaller x side. The orientation of a confined phase depends on the "effective surface preference" which is a combined effect of the interfacial interaction strength ratio, the surface preference, and the entropic preference. In the case of neutral or weak "effective surface preference", phases with a perpendicular orientation are usually observed, while in the case of strong "effective surface preference" phases with a perpendicular orientation or also with outermost wetting-layers can be frequently observed under some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyao Liu
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Zheng Wang
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Yuhua Yin
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Run Jiang
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Baohui Li
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
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Zhai L, Chai S, Wang G, Zhang W, He H, Li H. Triblock Copolymer/Polyoxometalate Nanocomposite Electrolytes with Inverse Hexagonal Cylindrical Nanostructures. Macromol Rapid Commun 2020; 41:e2000438. [PMID: 33000900 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The primary issue of polymer electrolytes is to achieve high ion conductivity while retaining mechanical properties. A nanocomposite electrolyte with the inverse hexagonal cylindrical phase (three-dimensionally continuous domains for ion conduction and embedded domains for mechanical support) is prepared through the electrostatic self-assembly of a polyoxometalate (H3 PW12 O40 , PW) and a triblock copolymer poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)-block-polystyrene-block-poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PSP). The cylindrical nanocomposite exhibits a conductivity of 1.32 mS cm-1 and a storage modulus of 4.6 × 107 Pa at room temperature. These two values are higher than those of pristine PSP by two orders of magnitudes and a factor of six, respectively. PW clusters are used as multifunctional nano-additives (morphological inducer, proton conductor, and nano-enhancer) and their incorporation achieves the simultaneous improvement in both conductive and mechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Shengchao Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Haibo He
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Haolong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
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