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Anisotropic Ionic Mobility of Lithium Salts in Lamellar Liquid Crystalline Polymer Networks
Author(s) -
RamónGimenez Laura,
Storz Rebekka,
Haberl Johannes,
Finkelmann Heino,
Hoffmann Anke
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201100792
Subject(s) - materials science , lithium (medication) , lamellar structure , monomer , elastomer , ethylene oxide , ionic conductivity , polymer , polymer chemistry , oxide , side chain , chemical engineering , liquid crystal , copolymer , composite material , chemistry , medicine , optoelectronics , electrode , electrolyte , engineering , metallurgy , endocrinology
New mesogens presenting smectic A (SmA) phases and capable of hosting lithium salts are designed. The mesogens comprise a vinyl‐functionalized spacer to allow further reaction to the polymer backbone, an aromatic core and ethylene oxide chains, able to coordinate lithium ions. Copolymerizing these monomers with a suitable crosslinker yields the first lithium containing liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). The SmA structure where the ethylene oxide chains are microphase separated in layers is fixed by the crosslinking and permanent macroscopic orientation is obtained. Diffusion and conductivity measurements of the monomer sample show a large anisotropy of the ion mobility (100 for the cation and 400 for the anion). In the elastomer the anisotropy of the lithium mobility is comparable to that in the monomers.