Abstract: The present invention provides gels, solutions, films, membranes, compositions, and other materials containing polymerized and/or non-polymerized room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). These materials are useful in catalysis, gas separation and as antistatic agents. The RTILs are preferably imidazolium-based RTILs which are optionally substituted, such as with one or more hydroxyl groups. Optionally, the materials of the present invention are composite materials comprising both polymerized and non-polymerized RTILs. The RTIL polymer is formed from polymerized RTIL cations typically synthesized as monomers and polymerized in the presence of the non-polymerized RTIL cations to provide a solid composite material. The non-polymerized RTIL cations are not covalently bound to the cationic polymer but remain as free cations within the composite material able to associate with charged subunits of the polymer. These composite materials are useful in catalysis, gas separation, and antistatic applications.

Abstract: A modular surfactant architecture based on room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been developed that affords non-polymerizable and polymerizable amphiphiles that form lamellar (L), hexagonal (H) or bicontinuous cubic (Q) LLC phases when mixed with water or RTILs serving as the polar solvent. The amphiphiles are imidazolium salts having two or more imidazolium head groups joined by one or more spacers. Polymerization of the LLC assembly can produce polymeric materials having ordered nanopores, with the ordering of the pores determined by the LLC phase.