title: Constructing Straight Polyionic Liquid Microchannels for Fast Anhydrous Proton Transport.
abstract: Polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) have triggered great interest as all solid-state flexible electrolytes because of safety and superior thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability. It is of great importance to fabricate highly conductive electrolyte membranes capable to operate above 120 °C under anhydrous conditions and in the absence of mineral acids, without sacrificing the mechanical behavior. Herein, the diminished dimensional and mechanical stability of poly[1-(3H-imidazolium)ethylene]bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide has been improved thanks to its infiltration on a polybenzimidale (PBI) support with specific pore architecture. Our innovative solution is based on the synergic combination of an emerging class of materials and sustainable large-scale manufacturing techniques (UV polymerization and replication by microtransfer-molding). Following this approach, the PIL plays the proton conduction role, and the PBI microsieve (SPBI) mainly provides the mechanical reinforcement. Among the resulting electrolyte membranes, conductivity values above 50 mS·cm-1at 200 °C and 10.0 MPa as tensile stress are shown by straight microchannels of poly[1-(3H-imidazolium)ethylene]bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide cross-linked with 1% of dyvinylbenzene embedded in a PBI microsieve with well-defined porosity (36%) and pore diameter (17 μm).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza , Edif. I+D+i, Campus Rio Ebro. C/Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Parashuram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kallem
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza , Edif. I+D+i, Campus Rio Ebro. C/Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eguizabal
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza , Edif. I+D+i, Campus Rio Ebro. C/Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, CIBER-BBN, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Reyes
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mallada
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza , Edif. I+D+i, Campus Rio Ebro. C/Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, CIBER-BBN, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Pilar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9897-6527
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pina
keywords: cross-linking; flexible electrolytes; microtransfer molding; polybenzimidazole microsieves; polyimidazolium ionic liquids; proton transport