DYNAMICS IN ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER / IONIC LIQUID COMPOSITE MATERIALS OF PRACTICAL RELEVANCE

“Smart” electroactive polymeric materials have garnered significant attention due to their ability to respond to external stimuli in a controllable manner. A novel nanoparticle-free approach involves utilizing ionic liquids (ILs) instead of common fillers such as nanoparticles or carbon-based materials. However, the crucial relationship between the macroscopic properties of technological interest in these new composites and the mobility and structural organisation of the ILs remains poorly understood. The dynamics of ILs significantly influence magneto- and electro-mechanical responses, as well as electronic and ionic conductivity, which are crucial in sensing and actuation applications.
The aim is to investigate the dynamics of two ILs within matrices of PVDF-based electroactive copolymers. Our approach involves tracking the self-H-dynamics of the IL cations using quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) at IRIS spectrometer. By utilizing two ILs and polymer matrices differing in polarity and crystalline structure, we aim to modulate the interaction between the IL and the polymer. We intend to correlate the observed dynamics with the nanostructure previously studied by SANS and SEM. Our preliminary QENS and NSE results indicate that the dynamics of ILs differ in confinement within the composite and in the bulk, owing to specific interactions between the components.