Electrospinning of radical polymers: Redox-active fibrous membrane formation

Abstract

Redox-active but highly durable nitroxide radicals, that is, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-4-oxy (TEMPO), enabled direct electrospinning of radical-containing polymers without additional processing aids (such as polymer blends, post-doping, or protection/deprotection) and produced redox-active fibrous membranes with high surface area. The solution rheological behavior of the TEMPO-substituted polymethacrylate was similar to the neutral conventional polymers, and electrospinning of the radical polymers yielded submicrometer-scaled fibrous membranes without any defects on the radical moiety. The obtained membrane exhibited stable redox response, leading to redox catalysts or electrode-active materials toward organic-based flexible rechargeable battery. © 2012 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) All rights reserved.