Di‐ureasil Hybrid Electrolytes Incorporating a New Proton Ionic Liquid. Issue 5 (29th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cardoso, Marita A.; Leones, Rita; Rodrigues, Luísa C.; Fernandes, Mariana; Figueiredo, Filipe L.; Nunes, Sílvia C.; Silva, M. Manuela; de Zea Bermudez, Verónica
• Is Part Of: ChemElectroChem. Volume 3:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 783
• Page End: 789
• Publication Date: 2016-02-29
• Subjects: conducting materials -- di-ureasil hybrids -- electrolytes -- fuel cells -- ionic liquids; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1002/celc.201500557
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2196-0216

Abstract

Abstract: The protic ionic liquid (PIL) N ‐butylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([BIm][TfO]) was obtained for the first time and incorporated into a sol–gel‐derived di‐ureasil matrix with a concentration of X =5, 10, and 30 %, where X is the ratio of the mass of PIL per mass of poly(oxyethylene). Four years after their synthesis, the resulting quasi‐anhydrous electrolytes remained amorphous, homogeneous, flexible, and thermally stable below 200 °C. SEM/EDS data revealed the presence of the PIL at the surface of the xerogels with X >5 %, demonstrating that this type of morphological characterization is mandatory to avoid misleading ionic conductivity values. The highest ionic conductivity was produced in the washed sample with X =30 % (3.5×10 −5 and 2.1×10 −3 S cm −1 at 25 and 170 °C, respectively). The present family of electrolytes yielded higher conductivities than the N ‐ethylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate‐based analogues introduced earlier by our group and may thus be considered as promising candidates for applications in fuel cells. Abstract : PIL‐low talk : Quasi‐anhydrous di‐ureasil hybrid electrolytes incorporating N ‐butylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate as a new protic ionic liquid (PIL) with application in fuel cells are produced by the sol–gel method. The maximum ionic conductivity (2.1 mS cm −1 ) is achieved at 170 °C at a PIL concentration of 30 %.