Getting Tough with Ionogels
By Meixiang Wang, Jian Hu, Michael Dickey
A newly developed chemical process unites ionic liquids and polymers to make strong gels that could be used in batteries, robotics, and more.
This Article From Issue
May-June 2023
Volume 111, Number 3
Page 144
Scientific discoveries sometimes arrive as a truly thrilling surprise. That’s what happened back in 2019, when our research team was mixing common polymers—long, chain-like molecules containing repeating chemical building blocks—with liquids to make a material that could be used in a pressure sensor. What we eventually produced looked like a mundane piece of transparent, flexible plastic. But when we examined its properties, we were shocked.
QUICK TAKE
- Gels are ubiquitous materials that combine polymers with liquids; water-based gels are found in contact lenses, gelatin desserts, and the cartilage in our bodies.
- Instead of water, ionogels are composed of ionic liquids, which have a low melting point, conduct electricity, and do not evaporate as easily as water.
- A simple new method to make tough ionogels could now help scientists use these materials in diverse applications such as medical devices, robotics, and batteries.
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