Synthesis, mechanical properties, and ionic conductivity of rotaxane cross-linked polymers

Abstract

Abstract Rotaxane cross-linked polymers (RCPs) derived from ionic liquid monomer (ILm) and butyl acrylate were prepared through radical copolymerization in the presence of a vinyl-based rotaxane crosslinker. The developed RCPs exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to analogous network polymers prepared with conventional covalent crosslinkers. In addition, a small amount of ILm toughened the formed RCPs and increased their toughness. Moreover, the developed RCPs showed ionic conductivity in the order of 10−7\xa0S\xa0cm−1 at 25\xa0°C.