title: From channel-forming ionic liquid crystals exhibiting humidity-induced phase transitions to nanostructured ion-conducting polymer membranes (adv. Mater. 26/2013).
abstract: A novel wedge-shaped amphiphilic molecule bearing a sulfonate group at the tip displays humidity-induced phase transitions from a hexagonal columnar structure to a bicontinuous cubic phase. The mesophases can be frozen by photopolymerization of acrylic end-groups resulting in free-standing membranes with different topology of ionic nanochannels. The obtained membranes with a well-ordered ionic channel structure hold promise for applications in separation and catalysis.
authors.affiliation: DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V. and Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry of RWTH Aachen University, Forkenbeckstr. 50, D-52056 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jaime J Hernandez
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Dimitri A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ivanov
mesh_terms: D001554:Benzene / Q000737:chemistry; D006813:Humidity; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D001554:Benzene
keywords: bicontinuous cubic phase; columnar mesophase; ion-conducting membranes; ionic channels; self-assembly