Polymeric Materials Based on Ion-dipole Interactions

Ion-dipole interactions are supramolecular interactions in which oppositely charged dipoles and ions act as the substrate. The ion-dipole interaction has many properties, such as non-directional, non-saturation, self-healing and dynamic properties, which can give polymers excellent electrical and mechanical properties at the same time. These properties have given polymeric materials containing these interactions great potential for applications in flexible electronics and battery energy storage, and have attracted scientists to explore and develop these materials. The aim of this paper is to summarize the features and advantages of ionic-dipole interactions, while indicating the shortcomings in the field and attracting more scientists to the relevant research. We started from the types of materials containing ion-dipole interactions, introduces the possible acting substrates that can be used to build the materials, and explores how the different materials behave in terms of mechanical and electrical properties. It also combines our group's work on polymeric materials based on ionic dipole interactions, and concludes with a description of suitable application scenarios for such materials. For example, we discovered and exploited the ion-dipole interactions between fluorine-containing groups and imidazole cations to construct a self-healing ionic conductor. Applications include artificial muscles, artificial skin, ionic electroluminescence, and touch panels for wearable devices and human-machine interaction interfaces. Although there are currently a wide range of application scenarios for polymeric materials based on ion-dipole interactions, the development of related materials needs to be supported by fundamental science. For example, the regulation of electrical conductivity and mechanical properties can only be attempted by extensive experiments and not by more rational design. [GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT]