Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, is a thermoresponsive polymer widely known for its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phenomenon at 32 °C in aqueous solutions. Precise tuning of the LCST of PNIPAM to a broader temperature range offers a larger window of applications especially in the field of biotechnology and nanotechnology. A series of free radical random copolymerizations between N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and various imidazolium based ionic liquids (ILs) were conducted. IL structures were varied in terms of their alkyl chain length at the N-3 (or N-1) position of the imidazolium ring and counter anion. The LCST behavior of the aqueous solutions of the copolymers was investigated through UV-VIS transmission measurements. The results confirm that introduction of IL into the PNIPAM offers a wide range of LCST behaviors with a synergism between the hydrophobic part of the ionic liquid and the basic strength of the counter anion, probably by varying the hydrogen bonding abilities of the copolymer.

A room-temperature ionic liquid containing macrocyclic compound pillar[5]arene in its core was synthesized. The ionic liquid showed high thermal stability, moderate ionic conductivity and solvent-free complexation ability with the guest tetracyanoethylene.

A bis-imino-acenaphthenequinone (BIAN)–fluorene copolymer (π conjugated polymer bearing BIAN and fluorene units) binder was designed, synthesised and used for the fabrication of a graphite electrode in lithium-ion batteries. Unlike the PVDF binder, the electrode with the BIAN–fluorene binder exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance in terms of its rate capability, cycling behaviour and specific capacity. At a rate of 1C, the electrode with the BIAN–fluorene binder exhibited more than 250 mA h g⁻¹ capacity after 100 cycles while the electrode made with the PVDF binder delivered only 165 mA h g⁻¹. The significant improvement of cycling performance is due to the improvement in the adherence of the electrode laminate to the current collector and improved interface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies showed the formation of an improved interface with the BIAN–fluorene based binder.

Despite its rich natural abundance and high gravimetric capacity, the adoption of silicon (Si) anodes in transformative technologies like lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) has been largely hindered due to their mechanical instability and subsequent dynamic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. These demerits are amplified many times over when we move from nanostructured Si to otherwise cost-effective and user-friendly micron Si particles (SiMPs). Maintaining the coalescence in fracture-prone SiMPs to avoid/delay pulverization as well as accommodating the lithiation-driven stress demands judicious material design for any possible commercial adoption of SiMPs in the near future. Herein, inspired by the appealing structural features of silicon oxycarbide black glasses (BGs), we proposed a facile and rational design strategy via the thoughtful grafting of carbon-coated SiMPs (Si/C) using acetylene black-embedded BG (ABG, i.e., Si/C/ABG) to address the two essential requirements of (i) structural intactness and subsequent (ii) stable solid electrolyte interphase formation by internally stabilizing the fracture-prone SiMPs and externally providing a stable electrolyte–material interface. Benefiting from superior lithium diffusion kinetics, suppressed overall volumetric expansion, reduced internal resistance and rapid improvement in initial coulombic efficiencies, Si/C/ABG demonstrates excellent rate capabilities in combination with appreciable capacity retention ability (∼99.4% post 775^th cycle at 750 mA g⁻¹), thus demonstrating its utility for possible practical adoption in commercial LiBs. Importantly, this study further reveals the successful integration of Si/C/ABG as a negative electrode in a full-cell when paired with a commercially available lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA) cathode and exhibits appreciable rate and cycling performances. Overall, the present methodology offers an effective avenue for developing/designing resilient micron-sized silicon anodes and can be swiftly extended to a variety of other potent high-capacity micron-sized anode materials.