A Short Review on Polyethylene-based Ionomers: Synthesis, Structure, and Applications

Polyethylene-based ionomers (PE ionomers) are polymers featuring polyethylene as the main chain structure with a small fraction of ionic functional groups pendant to the polyethylene backbone. Due to this combination of nonpolar covalent skeletons and polar ionic groups, PE ionomers can exhibit various properties, depending on their specific composition and structure, such as clarity, adhesivity, abrasiveness, enhanced mechanical strength, shape memory, and healable capabilities. These extraordinary properties have led to the broad applications of PE ionomers in the past decades for cosmetics packaging, coatings, blends, ion-exchange membranes, high voltage insulation materials, and adhesives and even hold great potential in the emerging fields of shape memory and healable smart materials. This review provides an in-depth overview of the latest progress in the field of PE ionomers, with a particular focus on diverse synthetic methods and structural models, as well as important related applications. The structure-property relationship is also discussed interstitially, providing ideas for the subsequent development of PE ionomers with novel structures and fresh applications.