Poly(ethylene glycol)-Based Poly(ionic liquid) Block Copolymers through 1,2,3-Triazole Click Reactions

1,2,3-Triazolium-based polyionic liquids (PILs) were made by a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) “click” reaction from poly(4-vinylbenzyl chloride). The click reaction facilitates the design and manipulation of the polymer architecture by selecting the desired alkynes, the azide-containing moieties, and the alkylating group of the 1,2,3-triazole group. Using this versatile chemistry and design, we prepared PILs with comblike homo- and block copolymer architectures using bistrifluoromethanesulfonimidate (TFSI-) as counterions. The block copolymer self-assembles into an ordered morphology. The block copolymer was integrated into metal-insulator-metal capacitors and found to display a prominent electrical double layer when characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.