Advanced Applications of Ionic Liquids in Polymer Science

Abstract

A review. During the past few years, ionic liqs. have kept attracting much attention as "green and designer" media for chem. reactions. Room-temp. ionic liqs. have emerged as a potential replacement for org. solvents in catalytic processes on both lab. and industrial scales. Ionic liqs. were used in polymer science, mainly as polymn. media in several types of polymn. processes. When radical polymns. are conducted in an ionic liq., a significant increase of kp/kt ratio is normally obsd. in comparison to those carried out in other polar/coordinating solvents. As solvents for ATRP and RAFT, ionic liqs. facilitate sepn. of the polymer from residual catalyst and reduce the extent of side-reactions. The use of ionic liqs. in polymer science is not limited to their application as solvents; ionic liqs. are also used as additives, including plasticizers, components of polymer electrolytes, and porogenic agents to polymers. This chapter focuses on the recent developments and achievements gained from applications of ionic liqs. in the prepn. of functional polymers as well as properties modification of polymers caused by ionic liqs. [on SciFinder(R)]