| Summary: | The addition of Ionic Liquid (IL) during the free-radical polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) led to the successful production of a bendable PMMA film. In this study, a more affordable and less hazardous Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES), made up of choline chloride and 1,4-butanediol in a 1:3 mole ratio, was utilised as a substitute for IL. Interestingly, the incorporation of 50 wt.% of DES (PMMADES50) produced a flexible film which was confirmed by the decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg). The increase in ionic conductivity up to 2.56 x 10-8 S cm-1 was also observed for PMMADES50The enhancement in the amorphous phase of the sample was achieved by minimising the hydrogen bond of PMMA, which was made possible by the large structure of DES occupying the space between the polymer chains. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the existence of interaction between PMMA and DES, leading to the observed improvement in the thermal stability of the PMMADES system. The incorporation of 10 wt.% of lithium triflate (LiTf) into the PMMADES50 tremendously increased the ionic conductivity to 2.56 x 10-6 S cm-1. This proved that PMMADES50 serves as a good and novel polymer host which provides an amorphous phase that eases the movement of lithium ions. © 2023 UMT Press. All Rights Reserved.
|
|---|