Probing the effect of anion structure on the physical properties of cationic 1,2,3 triazolium based poly(ionic liquid)s
To extensively explore the influence of anion structure on the physical properties of poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) a series of PILs having main chain 1,2,3 triazolium cations was synthesized via copper(I) catalyzed azide alkyne 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) followed by N alkylation with iodomethane and anion metathesis with different metal salts, that is, Li(CF3SO2)2N, Li(CF3CF2SO2)2N, K(FSO2)2N, K(CF3SO2)N(CN) Ag(CN)2N, and sodium 4,5 dicyano 1,2,3 triazolate. To isolate the effect of anion on physical properties of PILs, a common iodide precursor was used to maintain constant the average degree of polymerization (DPn) and chain dispersity. Detailed structure/properties relationship analyses demonstrated a lack of correlation between anion chemical structure, ionic conductivity, and glass transition temperatures. Among synthesized series, the PIL derivative having bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide counter anion showed the best compromise in performance: low glass transition temperature (Tg 68 degC) high thermal stability (Tonset 340 degC) and superior ionic conductivity (sDC 8.5 x 10 6 S/cm at 30 degC) which makes it an interesting candidate for various key modern electrochemical applications. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 2191 2199