Poly(ionic liquid) superabsorbent for polar organic solvents
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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
W Jeffrey Horne1, Mary A Andrews1, Kelsey L Terrill1
1†Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0203, United States.
Abstract:
A simple, polymerized ionic liquid (poly(IL)) based on methylimidazolium cations tethered to a polystyrene backbone exhibits superabsorbent behavior toward polar organic solvents, most notably propylene carbonate (PC) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), wherein the poly(IL) was observed to swell more than 390 and 200 times (w/w) its original mass, yet absorbs negligible quantities of water, hexanes, and other solvents, many of which were miscible with the IL monomer. Although solubility parameters and dielectric constants are typically used to rationalize such behaviors, we find that poly(IL)-solvent compatibility is most clearly correlated to solvent dipole moment. Poly(IL) superabsorbency is not reliant upon the addition of a cross-linking agent.
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