Preparation of thermally stable polymer electrolytes from imidazolium-type ionic liquid derivatives

Thermally stable polymer electrolytes based on ionic liquids were prepared and analyzed. Mono-functional ionic liquid monomers, ionic liquid cross-linkers, and ethylimidazolium-type ionic liquid salts were mixed and polymerized. The ionic liquid-type cross-linkers were effective to prepare thermally stable polymer films. In particular, the copolymerization of cross-linker and ethylimidazolium-type ionic liquid monomers were used to make polymer electrolytes with high ionic conductivities. The copolymerization in ethylmethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide gave a transparent film showing no thermal degradation up to 400 °C.