Ion transport in helical-helical polypeptide polymerized ionic liquid block copolymers
Helical-helical polypeptide polymerized ionic liquid block copolymers (PPIL BCPs) are synthesized to investigate the role of helical structure on self-assembly and ionic conductivity. PPIL BCPs, consisting of a cationic polypeptide (PTPLG) with bis(trifluoromethane sulfonimide) (TFSI) counterion and varying lengths connected to a length-fixed neutral poly-(γ-benzyl-<sub>L</sub>-glutamate) (PBLG) block, exhibit stable helical conformations with minimal glass transition (T<sub>g</sub>) variation. Here, we show that increasing PIL composition leads to a transition from poorly ordered to highly ordered lamellar (LAM) structures with the highest PIL content BCP forming a bilayer LAM structure with close-packed helices. This morphology yields a 1.5 order of magnitude higher T<sub>g</sub>- and volume fraction-normalized ionic conductivity and a morphology factor f > 0.8 compared to less ordered BCPs with f < 0.05 and f = 2/3 for ideal lamellae. These results highlight the critical role of helical structure in optimizing ion transport, offering a design strategy for high-performance solid electrolytes.
Authors
- Yao Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5227-2663)
- Tianjian Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4180-4753)
- Christopher M. Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0668-2500)
- Yingying Chen
Institutions
- University of Connecticut (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57784-9
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.11
Funders
- Division of Materials Research
- Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems