PNNL

Abstract

We investigated a novel ionic mixture of an imidazolium-based room temperature IL containing ethylene oxide functionalized phosphite anion and a lithium salt that self-assembles into a smectic-ordered IL crystal. The two key features in this work are the unique origin of the smectic order of the ionic mixtures and the facilitated ion transport behavior in the smectic ordered IL crystal. In fact, the IL crystals are self-assembled through Coulombic interactions between ion species, not through the hydrophilic-phobic interactions between charged ion heads and hydrophobic long alkyl pendants or the steric interaction between mesogenic moieties. Furthermore, the smectic order in the IL crystal ionogel facilitates exceptional and remarkable ionic transport. Large ionic conductivity, viscoelastic robustness, and additional electrochemical stability of the IL crystal ionogels provide promising opportunities for future electrochemical applications.