Ionically conducting and photoresponsive liquid crystalline terpolymers: Towards multifunctional polymer electrolytes

We have prepared a series of new ionically conducting polymer electrolytes consisting of side-chain liquid crystal terpolymers with mesogenic azobenzenes, sulfonic acid groups and methyl methacrylate. The poly[10-(4-methoxyazobenzene -4′-oxy)decyl methacrylate]-co-poly[2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid]-co-poly[methyl methacrylate]s, 10-MeOAzB/AMPS/MMA terpolymers, were synthesised by a one-pot conventional radical polymerisation. All samples were characterised by NMR, GPC/SEC, FT-IR, POM, XRD, DSC, UV–visible spectrophotometry and EIS. The terpolymers have light responsive properties, and exhibit liquid crystallinity over a wide range of compositions. Above a certain threshold of AMPS content, the 10-MeOAzB/AMPS/MMA terpolymers exhibit ionic conductivities in the 10−8–10−4S·cm−1range, with signs of decoupling of ionic mobility from segmental motions of the polymer.