Organic–inorganic hybrid composites based on polysiloxane ionic-liquid and polyoxotungstates exhibiting improved thermal stability

Abstract Organic–inorganic hybrid composites were successfully prepared utilizing polysiloxane ionic-liquid and polyoxometalate inorganic clusters. Imidazolium-based polysiloxane ionic-liquid (denoted as [HPIm6]-Cl) having a cationic skeleton was employed for the anion-exchange reaction to introduce polyoxotungstate ([PW12O40]3− (PW12) or [SiW12O40]4− (SiW12)). The obtained [HPIm6]-PW12 was thermally stable over 450 °C, exhibiting drastically improved thermal stability as compared with the pristine [HPIm6]-Cl. The conductivity of [HPIm6]-PW12 was 2.5× 10−6 S cm−1 at 210 °C without humidification, which will be promising as a polymer electrolyte working over 100 °C under low humidified conditions.