Formation of a liquid-crystalline interpenetrating poly(ionic liquid) network hydrogel

Preparation of a liquid-crystalline ionic-liquid (IL)-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is described. The IPN is prepared sequentially by first photopolymerizing a self-assembled aqueous mixture of an IL monomer (1-(10-(acryloyloxy)decyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride) that possesses an acryloyl moiety at the terminus of a C₁₀ alkyl chain of the IL cation. In the second step, an acrylate counteranion is introduced and then photopolymerized to yield a durable self-supporting network polymer. Thermal analysis indicates the formation of a homogeneous (well-blended constituent polymers) IPN. The IPN adopts a lamellar structure possessing some residual in-plane tetragonal perforations, as evidenced by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The IPN can absorb large quantities of water, swelling to nearly 60 times its original volume, but retains mechanical integrity making it a durable hydrogel.