Ionic liqids for the control of the morphology in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) membranes

The development of polymer membranes with tailored micro-morphology and wettability is a demand in the areas of filtration, sensors, and tissue engineering, among others. The thermoplastic copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), is one of the most widely used polymers for these applications due to its good mechanical and thermal properties, biocompatibility and low density. Although the control of the PVDF-HFP morphology is a complicated task, the introduction of ionic liquids (ILs) in the PVDF-HFP matrix opens news perspectives in this area. This work consists on a systematic study of three different protic ionic liquids ([dema][TfO], [MIm][NTf2] and [MIm][Cl]) in the control of PVDF-HFP membranes properties. Different preparation conditions are also analysed. These results demonstrate how several parameters such as morphology, water absorption capacity and mechanical properties vary depending on the production methodology employed and on the choice of incorporated IL. Pores of different sizes, spherulites, and compact structures have been obtained, as well hydrophilic and highly hydrophobic structures. These results show that ILs play a key role in the optimization of polymer properties, and given the huge number of ILs available, they open up new possibilities for the development of polymer membranes suitable for applications where specific morphologies are desirable.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, MAT2016-76739R Gobierno Vasco, IT-630-13 European Union's Horizon 2020 Programme, MSCA-IF-2015, grant agreement 70185