Kazuhide Ueno

Colloidal Stability of Bare and Polymer-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids

The colloidal stability of bare and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-grafted silica nanoparticles was studied in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ([C(n)mim])-based ionic liquids (ILs) with different anionic structures. The theoretical estimation of the colloidal interaction between monodispersed bare silica particles by using the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory indicates that bare silica particles cannot be stabilized and they rapidly form aggregates in all the ILs used in this study. The instability of bare silica particles was experimentally confirmed by dynamic light scattering measurement and in situ transmission electron microscopy observations by utilizing the negligible vapor pressure of ILs. This evidence suggests that electrostatic stabilization is inefficient in ILs because of the high ionic atmosphere and the resulting surface-charge screening. The PMMA-grafted silica particles exhibited long-term colloidal stability in [C(4)mim][PF(6)] and [C(n)mim][NTf(2)], which are compatible with the grafted PMMA. On the other hand, the PMMA-grafted particles could not be stabilized in [C 4mim][BF 4] due to the poor solubility of the grafted PMMA in the IL. Effective steric stabilization is important for obtaining stable colloidal particles in ILs.

Application of Ionic Liquids to Energy Storage and Conversion Materials and Devices

Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquids consisting entirely of ions and can be further defined as molten salts having melting points lower than 100 °C. One of the most important research areas for IL utilization is undoubtedly their energy application, especially for energy storage and conversion materials and devices, because there is a continuously increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy. In this article, various application of ILs are reviewed by focusing on their use as electrolyte materials for Li/Na ion batteries, Li-sulfur batteries, Li-oxygen batteries, and nonhumidified fuel cells and as carbon precursors for electrode catalysts of fuel cells and electrode materials for batteries and supercapacitors. Due to their characteristic properties such as nonvolatility, high thermal stability, and high ionic conductivity, ILs appear to meet the rigorous demands/criteria of these various applications. However, for further development, specific applications for which these characteristic properties become unique (i.e., not easily achieved by other materials) must be explored. Thus, through strong demands for research and consideration of ILs unique properties, we will be able to identify indispensable applications for ILs.

From Colloidal Stability in Ionic Liquids to Advanced Soft Materials Using Unique Media

Owing to their fascinating properties, ionic liquids (ILs) are now receiving a great deal of attention as alternatives to organic solvents and electrolyte solutions and as synthetic and dispersion media for colloidal systems. Colloidal stability is an essential factor in determining the properties and performance of colloidal systems combined with ILs. The remarkable properties of ILs primarily originate from their highly ionic nature. Although such high ionic strength often causes colloidal aggregation in aqueous and organic suspensions, some colloidal particles can be well suspended in ILs without any stabilizers. In the first part of this article, we focus on recent experiments conducted to investigate the colloidal stability of bare and polymer-grafted silica nanoparticles and on the surface force between silica substrates and ILs. Three different repulsions between colloidal particles (i.e., electrostatic, steric, and solvation forces) are also highlighted, after which a possible interpretation of the results in terms of the stabilization mechanism in ILs both in the presence and in the absence of stabilizers is proposed. The latter part of this article provides an overview of our recent studies on colloidal soft materials with ILs. On the basis of the dispersed states of the silica colloids in ILs, two different soft materials, a colloidal gel and a colloidal glass in ILs, were fabricated. The relationship between their functional properties, such as ionic transport, rheological properties, and optical properties, and the microstructure of the colloidal materials is also described.

Upper limit of nitrogen content in carbon materials.

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials (NDCs) play an important role in various fields. A great deal of effort has been devoted to obtaining carbon materials with a high nitrogen content; however, much is still unknown about the structure of the nitrogen-doped materials and the maximum nitrogen content possible for such compounds. Here, we demonstrate an interesting relationship between the N/C molar ratio and the N content of NDCs. The upper limit for the nitrogen content of NDCs that might be achieved was estimated and found to strongly depend on the carbonization temperature (14.32 wt% at 1000 °C and 21.66 wt% at 900 °C), irrespective of the precursor or preparation conditions. Simulations suggest that, especially in the carbon architectures obtained at high temperatures, nitrogen atoms are always located on separate hexagon moieties in a graphitic configuration, thereby yielding a critical N/C molar ratio very close to the value estimated from the experimental results.

Soft glassy colloidal arrays in an ionic liquid: colloidal glass transition, ionic transport, and structural color in relation to microstructure.

The colloidal glass transition, ionic transport, and optical properties of soft glassy colloidal arrays (SGCAs) that consist of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-grafted silica nanoparticles (PMMA-g-NPs) and a room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)amide ([C(2)mim][NTf(2)]), were investigated. At lower particle concentrations, PMMA-g-NPs were well-suspended in the IL without any aggregation or sedimentation, and the dilute suspensions showed liquid-like behavior. However, above a certain particle concentration, the suspensions became solidified and exhibited different structural colors depending on the particle concentrations. The liquid-solid transition of the SGCAs was essentially caused by colloidal glass transition. Due to the soft repulsive interaction between the particles, the effective volume fraction of the particle (ϕ(eff)) required for colloidal glass transition was higher than that of the hard sphere system and found to be approximately 0.70-0.74. The SGCA had sufficient ionic conductivity, which was greater than 10(-3) S cm(-1) at room temperature, even in the highly concentrated region. For ionic transport of the cation and the anion in the SGCAs, the decrease in diffusivity observed with the addition of the particles (D(g)/D(0)) was slightly greater for the [NTf(2)] anion than that of the [C(2)mim] cation, suggesting that the [NTf(2)] anion preferentially interacts with the PMMA chains. The SGCAs showed homogeneous, nonbrilliant, and angle-independent structural colors above the glass transition volume fraction. In addition, the color of the SGCAs changed from red to green to blue as the particle concentration increased. A linear relationship was found between the maximum wavelength of the reflection spectra and the center-to-center distance in the SGCAs.

Protic-salt-derived nitrogen/sulfur-codoped mesoporous carbon for the oxygen reduction reaction and supercapacitors

Nitrogen/sulfur-co-doped mesoporous carbon (Phen-HS) was obtained through direct carbonization of a single protic salt, that is, 1,10-phenanthrolinium dibisulfate ([Phen][2 HSO4 ]), in the presence of a colloidal silica template without the use of additional acid or metal catalysts for prepolymerization prior to carbonization. Phen-HS was prepared in a relatively high yield (30.0 %) and has a large surface area (1161 m(2)  g(-1) ), large pore volume (2.490 cm(3)  g(-1) ), large mesopores (≈12 nm), narrow pore-size distribution (7-16 nm), and high nitrogen (7.5 at %) and sulfur (1.3 at %) contents. The surface area/pore-size distribution is much higher/narrower than that of most reported carbon materials obtained from traditional precursors by using the same template. Phen-HS was directly used as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and as an electrode material for supercapacitors. As an efficient metal-free catalyst, Phen-HS exhibited good electrocatalytic activity toward the ORR in a 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution, which is comparable to the activity of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Electrochemical measurements for Phen-HS used in a double-layer capacitor showed high specific capacitances of 160 and 140 F g(-1) in 1 M H2 SO4 and 6 M KOH, respectively, with good rate capabilities and high cycling stabilities.

Thermosensitive, Soft Glassy and Structural Colored Colloidal Array in Ionic Liquid: Colloidal Glass to Gel Transition

A novel soft material comprising thermosensitive poly(benzyl methacrylate)-grafted silica nanoparticles (PBnMA-g-NPs) and the ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)amide ([C(2)mim][NTf(2)]), was fabricated. The thermosensitive properties were studied over a wide range of particle concentrations and temperatures. PBnMA-g-NPs in the IL underwent the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase transition at lower temperatures with a broader transition temperature range as compared to the free PBnMA solution. Highly concentrated suspensions formed soft glassy colloidal arrays (SGCAs) exhibiting a soft-solid behavior and angle-independent structural color. For the first time, we report a discrete change in the angle-independent structural color of SGCAs with temperature because of a temperature-induced colloidal glass-to-gel transition. The interparticle interaction changed from repulsive to attractive at the LCST temperature, and it was characterized by a V-shaped rheological response and a direct electron microscope observation of the colloidal suspension in the IL. With unique rheological and optical properties as well as properties derived from the IL itself, the thermosensitive SGCAs may be of interest as a new material for a wide range of applications such as electrochemical devices and color displays.

Effect of Ionic Size on Solvate Stability of Glyme-Based Solvate Ionic Liquids

A series of binary mixtures composed of glymes (triglyme, G3; tetraglyme, G4; pentaglyme, G5) and alkali-metal bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide salts (M[TFSA]; M = Li, Na, and K) were prepared, and the correlation between the composition and solvate stability was systematically investigated. Their phase diagrams and Raman spectra suggested complexation of the glymes with M[TFSA] in 1:1 and/or 2:1 molar ratio(s). From isothermal stability measurements, it was found that the formation of structurally stable complexes in the solid state did not necessarily ensure their thermal stability in the liquid state, especially in the case of 2:1 complexes, where uncoordinating or highly exchangeable glyme ligands existed in the molten complexes. The phase-state-dependent Raman spectra also supported the presence of free glymes in certain liquid complexes. The effect of the electric field induced by the alkali-metal cations on the oxidative stability of certain glyme complexes was examined by linear sweep voltammetry and quantum chemical calculations. Although the actual oxidative stability of complexes did not necessarily reflect the calculated HOMO energy levels of the glymes, the strong electric field induced by the smaller M(+) cations and proper coordination structures impart high stability to the glyme complexes. The results of thermogravimetry of complexes with different M(+) cations revealed that a balance of competitive interactions of the M(+) ions with the glymes and [TFSA](-) anions predominates the thermal stability.

Photoisomerization-induced tunable LCST phase separation of azobenzene-containing polymers in an ionic liquid

4-phenylazophenyl methacrylate (AzoMA) and benzyl methacrylate (BnMA) were copolymerized to produce multistimuli-responsive polymers (P(AzoMA-r-BnMA)s) in a hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide ([C2mim][NTf2]), as the solvent. P(AzoMA-r-BnMA)s with a maximum of ca. 4 mol % AzoMA were soluble in [C2mim][NTf2] at low temperatures, and they underwent lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase separation with an increase in temperature. Under UV and visible light irradiation, P(AzoMA-r-BnMA)s underwent reversible photochromism of trans-to-cis and cis-to-trans isomerization, respectively. The LCST temperature differences between trans- and cis-form polymers in the IL were as large as 22 degrees C. Reversible photoinduced phase separation of the polymers was achieved at a certain temperature; at this temperature, the cis-form polymers were soluble in the IL, but the trans-form polymers were not.

Electrochromism based on structural colour changes in a polyelectrolyte gel

Electrochromism based on structural colours was demonstrated by employing a simple system composed of a two-electrode cell, a salt-free organic solvent, and a nanostructured electroactive soft material. A polyelectrolyte gel, poly(HEMA-co-MAPTA-PF6), with an inverse-opal structure was prepared by using a polystyrene close-packed colloidal crystal as a template. The resulting gel swollen in binary organic solvents exhibited monochromatic structural colours. The structural colour of the gel was altered over the entire visible light region by changing the solvent polarity. Moreover, the structural colour could be tuned by applying a relatively low voltage, where the change in the lattice constant of the inverse-opal along the gel thickness direction, triggered by an electrodragging force on the polyelectrolyte gel under the electric field, was responsible for the colour change. The present system offers a novel concept for full-colour electrochromic materials, and the system can be tuned to exhibit the full range of colours by using single materials.