Curing Mechanism and Properties Epoxy Resins With Main‐Chain Polyimidazolium Ionic Liquids

ABSTRACT Ionic liquids have aroused considerable attention in the fields of polymer and materials science due to their designability and distinctive qualities. Epoxy resin (EP) with antimicrobial and stain‐resistant properties is important for the service life of the material and for eliminating potential health hazards. In this study, a series of main‐chain polyimidazolium ionic liquids (PIMILs) differing in the alkyl chain length of cation sizes (propyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, 3,6‐dioxaoctyl, and 4,7,10‐trioxatridecyl) were synthesized by the Debus–Radziszewski reaction, and used as curing agents for EPs. The results of the curing conditions of their corresponding EPs revealed the regularity in the curing conditions dependent mainly on alkyl chain length. Meanwhile, the influence of the chloride anion and cation size on thermal stability, the glass transition temperature ( T g ), and thermomechanical properties of the epoxy composites were discussed, Finally, the water contact angles of thermosets ranged from 78.1° to 104.5°, and the thermosets could effectively kill multiple strains of bacteria and remove the biofilm.