Ionic Liquid Crystals Research Articles

Multiphase Coexistence in an Ionic Liquid: 1-Decyl-3-methylimidazolium Nitrate.

Complicated phase transitions were observed in a single-component 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate ([C10mim][NO3]) ionic liquid (IL) using Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS). Time-resolved synchrotron SWAXS could distinguish the phase transitions depending upon the cooling rate. Low-Q peaks representing a few kinds of layered structures were decomposed. Multiphase coexistence was observed in [C10mim][NO3] at specific cooling rates (8-9 K/min). Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), hybrid-layered crystals, and hexagonal close-packed structures coexisted simultaneously. At the cooling rate region, the reentrant phase transition of the ILC phase upon heating was observed.

Design of V-shaped ionic liquid crystals: atropisomerisation ability and formation of double-gyroid molecular assemblies.

We designed V-shaped ionic liquid crystals with two sterically congested ionic parts at the vertex. Depending on the degree of steric hindrance, atropisomerisation occurred in solution. All compounds formed bicontinuous cubic phases with double-gyroid structures in the bulk state, partially owing to the co-existence of atropisomers with opposite chirality.

New Class of Ionic Liquid Crystal Proposed by Using Quantum Chemical Calculation

AbstractThe current investigation conducts a thorough analysis of the nonlinear optical properties, binding characteristics, and electronic features of 1‐proplene‐3‐methylimidazolium (PMIM)‐X ionic liquid (IL) crystal. These findings reveal that the dissociation energy of PMIM‐X indicates a preference for ionic dissociation over neutral dissociation. Notably, the ionic dissociation energy shows an increasing trend with both the electron affinity (EA) and the size of X. In the process of forming the IL crystal PMIM‐X, this study observes a charge transfer from PMIM to X species. It is noteworthy that the extent of charge transfer intensifies with the increasing size of X. Additionally, the calculated energy gap exhibits a positive correlation with both EA and the size of X. Although these results suggest promising nonlinear optical behavior for PMIM‐X, it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of the study. All calculations are conducted on single atoms in the gas phase, overlooking potential effects that may arise in the liquid phase or bulk conditions. Therefore, future investigations should consider these factors for a more comprehensive understanding of the behavior of PMIM‐X in practical applications.

Performance of Organic Electrochemical Transistors with Ionic Liquid Crystal Elastomers as Solid Electrolytes.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have emerged as attractive devices for bioelectronics, wearable electronics, soft robotics, and energy storage devices. The electrolyte, being a fundamental component of OECTs, plays a crucial role in their performance. Recently, it has been demonstrated that ionic liquid crystal elastomers (iLCEs) can be used as a solid electrolyte for OECTs. Their capabilities, however, have only been shown for relatively large size substrate-free OECTs. Here, we study the influence of the different alignments of iLCEs on steady state and transient behavior of OECTs using a lateral geometry with source, drain, and gate in the same plane. We achieve excellent electrical response with an ON/OFF switching ratio of >105 and minimal leakage current. The normalized maximum transconductance gm/w of the most sensitive iLCE was found to be 33 S m-1, which is one of the highest among all solid-state-based OECTs reported so far. Additionally, iLCEs show high stability and can be removed and reattached multiple times to the same OECT device without decreasing performance.

Modulating the Conductivity of Light-Responsive Ionic Liquid Crystals.

In this work, we describe the phase behaviour and the dielectric and conductivity response of new light-responsive ionic liquid crystals, ILCs, which can be applied as controllable electrolytes. The materials include two different dicationic viologens, the asymmetric 6BP18 and the symmetric EV2ON(Tf)2, containing bistriflimide as the counterions, mixed with 5% and 50% molar, respectively, of one new photoresponsive mesogen called CNAzO14. These mixtures exhibit liquid crystal behaviour, light responsiveness through the E-Z photoisomerisation of the azobenzene groups in CNAzO14, and strong dielectric responses. The 5%-CNAzO14/Ev2ON(Tf)2 mixture displays direct current conductivities in the 10-7 S·cm-1 range, which can be increased by a two-fold factor upon the irradiation of UV light at 365 nm. Our findings set the grounds for designing new smart ionic soft materials with nanostructures that can be tuned and used for energy conversion and storage applications.

Ionic Liquid Crystals as Chromogenic Materials.

Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), a class of soft matter materials whose properties can be tuned by the wise pairing of the cation and anion, have recently emerged as promising candidates for different applications, combining the characteristics of ionic liquids and liquid crystals. Among those potential uses, this review aims to cover chromogenic ILCs. In this context, examples of photo-, electro- and thermochromism based on ILCs are provided. Furthermore, thermotropic and lyotropic ionic liquid crystals are also summarised, including the most common chemical and phase structures, as well as the advantages of confining these materials. This manuscript also comprises the following main experimental techniques used to characterise ILCs: Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarised Optical Microscopy (POM) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). Chromogenic ILCs can be interesting smart materials for energy and health purposes.

An ionic liquid crystal functionalized nanocellulose lubricant additives

Cellulose, one of nature's most abundant, clean, and sustainable resources, has often shown unsatisfactory results when used as bio-lubricant additives. Herein, nanocellulose (NC) from amorphous waste natural poplar was extracted using deep eutectic solvent encapsulation treatment and chlorine bleaching process. Subsequently, 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was integrated onto NC using a one-step hydrothermal treatment (high-temperature and high-pressure environment) to obtain ionic liquid crystal (ILC) functionalized products (named as ILC-NC). After ball-milling process and solid phase separation step, ILC-NC exhibits excellent dispersion stability and lubrication properties in the liquid phase (including water and vegetable oil). Based on the polar and colloidal activity properties of ILC, it can form an ordered molecular layer on NC surface and form a lubricating film-like structure, making NC smoother and sliding well. Compared to ILC/NC aqueous dispersion, ILC-NC reduces the coefficient of friction and wear rate on steel disk surface by 68.75 % and 74.07 %, respectively. The minimum coefficient of friction was further reduced to 0.032 as dispersing ILC-NC in sunflower oil, showing a reduction of 0.134 (77.91 %) compared to pure sunflower oil. Finally, the lubrication theoretical model calculation reveals the lubrication state of ILC-NC on the steel disk surface and proposes the lubrication mechanism.

Influence of the counterion on the structure and stability of the smectic C phase in ionic liquid crystals

ABSTRACT Ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) are built of ion pairs. These consist often of a small anion and a large mesogenic cation. The properties of the ILCs like e.g. the phase behaviour or structure parameters, depend not only on the large mesogenic cations but also on the small counteranions. Here the influence of the small anion on the formation and stability of the in ILCs rare smectic C (SmC) phase is investigated in a series of methylimidazolium azobenzene ILCs with the same cation but different anions. All ILCs synthesised show the rare SmC phase. The phase behaviour and the tilt angles of the compounds were studied using polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, layer spacing and layer shrinkage of the SmC phase were examined using X-ray scattering. We show that the structural parameters of the phase-like layer spacing and tilt angle are only weakly influenced by the anions, whereas the mesophase ranges are strongly influenced by the choice of the anions. The results are also compared to the Hofmeister series for anions and it is found that the anions stabilise the SmC phase more the more kosmotropic they are.

Coarse-Grained Simulations of Columnar Ionic Liquid Crystals: Comparison with Experiments.

We simulate a homologous series of guanidinium-based columnar ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) using coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the Martini force field. We systematically vary the length of alkyl side chains, ILC-n (n = 8, 12, 16), and compare our results with previous experimental findings. Experimentally, ILC-8 exhibits a narrow mesophase window and weak columnar order, while ILC-12 and ILC-16 display a broad mesophase window and high columnar order. The MD simulations show that ILC-8 forms a percolated structure, whereas the longer chain analogues self-assemble into columns, with columnar assembly becoming more prominent as the side chain length increases, in qualitative agreement with the experiments. Furthermore, the intercolumnar distance increases monotonically with increasing side chain length and decreases with increasing temperature. Finally, we find that the diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity decrease substantially with increasing chain length, consistent with experimental observations. We attribute this decrease in mobility to the formation of hexagonally ordered columns, which restrict transport more than percolated networks.

Lyotropic Aqueous 2-Picolinium Ionic Liquid Crystals and Their Shear-Induced Foams.

1-Dodecyl-2-methylpyridinium bromide ([C12-2-Pic][Br]) and 1-hexadecyl-2-methylpyridinium bromide ([C16-2-Pic][Br]) are two ionic liquid crystals presenting thermotropic smectic phases above 80 °C. Aiming to take advantage of the liquid crystalline properties at lower temperatures, lyotropic aqueous systems were prepared from these two organic salts. Both systems were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance (FFC-NMR) relaxometry to assess their texture, phase structure, and molecular dynamics, respectively. The mesomorphic behavior was induced at room temperature. Moreover, the lyotropic [C12-2-Pic][Br]aq revealed a smectic phase with higher separation between layers, different from the lamellar phases found in the thermotropic system (S1 and SA), which is thermally stable up to 50 °C. Furthermore, the surfactant nature of the ionic liquids diluted solutions investigated in this work allowed the formation of foams. It was found that the precursor solutions of the lyotropic dilutions with the longest alkyl chain ([C16-2-Pic][Br]aq) originated liquid foams with more stable structures than those of [C12-2-Pic][Br]aq.

Difluorinated tolane-based photoluminescent liquid crystals with imidazolium salt-terminated flexible chains: Thermophysical and photophysical properties

Photoluminescent liquid crystal (PLLC) molecules have attracted significant interest because they exhibit both photoluminescent (PL) and liquid crystal (LC) properties within a single-composition molecular system. In the quest to develop PLLC molecules, researchers have explored ionic compounds incorporating ionic moieties in flexible chains or mesogenic structures. Notable examples include disk-shaped columnar PLLCs and smectic (Sm) PLLCs, which exhibit distinct layers of ionic moieties, counterions, and luminescent mesogens. Ionic LC molecules exhibiting the Sm phase at low temperatures and whose phase transition temperatures can be modulated by tuning the ionic moiety show promise as PLLCs. However, reports on Sm PLLC molecules remain scarce. Based on previous findings that difluorinated tolanes can emit fluorescence in the crystalline (Cr) state, we explored their potential as luminescent mesogens for the development of efficient Sm PLLC compounds. In this study, we designed a rod-shaped compound featuring a difluorinated tolane skeleton as a luminescent mesogen, a decyleneoxy chain for stabilizing the LC phase, and an imidazolium ion as an ionic moiety at the chain end to induce the smectic A (SmA) phase. Upon investigating their thermophysical properties, all compounds demonstrated thermotropic LC attributes and contained a SmA phase. Notably, the melting temperature decreased with increasing anion volume. Photophysical property evaluation revealed that the compounds displayed blue photoluminescence in both dilute solutions and Cr states, with no counteranion-dependent variations in photoluminescence observed in the solution. However, the photoluminescence behavior in the Cr-state specimens varies with different counteranions, demonstrating an increased photoluminescence wavelength with increasing anion volume. Furthermore, the Cr ⇄ LC phase transition altered the photoluminescence behavior, highlighting the potential of our molecular design strategy for developing temperature-responsive PL materials. These findings provide valuable insights for designing new PLLC molecules that can serve as effective fluorescent sensors across a range of temperatures, including room temperature.

Mesomorphism, high-contrast negative fluorosolvatochromism and photoinduced fluorescence conversion of thienylcyanostyrene-pyridinium salts

Novel thienylcyanostyrene and pyridinium-based luminescent ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) characterized with different length of N-alkyl chains (N–C3H7 and N–C8H17) and different size of counter anions (Br−, BF4−, PF6− and Tf2N−) on pyridinium moiety have been synthesized. The chemical modifications of N-alkyl chains and counter anions are easily achieved via pyridine alkylation followed with further ion exchanges, which played a key role in tuning supramolecular self-assembly of these ILCs. The compounds with shorter N–C3 alkyl chain (E-CTPC3X, X = Br−, BF4−, PF6− and Tf2N−) can self-assemble into 3D cubic phase or 2D hexagonal columnar phase depending on the size of counter anion, while the analogues with longer N–C8 alkyl chain (E-CTPC8X, X = BF4− and Tf2N−) only result smectic A phases. Moreover, the prolongation of the N-alkyl chain or enlargement of counter anion could significantly decrease the clear points of LC phases avoiding the thermal decomposition at high temperature, whereas introducing counter anions such as BF4−, PF6− that can form hydrogen bonds have stabilized the LC phases. The notable negative fluorosolvatochromism and the photoinduced fluorescence conversion with high-contrast of these ILCs were observed using UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and was further analyzed by dynamic 1H NMR. These ILCs had been used as dopant to modify the n-Si/PEDOT:PSS heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) with 2 fold hole mobility (μhole) enhancement of the PEDOT:PSS layer.

Self-Assembly of Ionic Superdiscs in Nanopores.

Discotic ionic liquid crystals (DILCs) consist of self-assembled superdiscs of cations and anions that spontaneously stack in linear columns with high one-dimensional ionic and electronic charge mobility, making them prominent model systems for functional soft matter. Compared to classical nonionic discotic liquid crystals, many liquid crystalline structures with a combination of electronic and ionic conductivity have been reported, which are of interest for separation membranes, artificial ion/proton conducting membranes, and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, a homogeneous alignment of the DILCs on the macroscale is often not achievable, which significantly limits the applicability of DILCs. Infiltration into nanoporous solid scaffolds can, in principle, overcome this drawback. However, due to the experimental challenges to scrutinize liquid crystalline order in extreme spatial confinement, little is known about the structures of DILCs in nanopores. Here, we present temperature-dependent high-resolution optical birefringence measurement and 3D reciprocal space mapping based on synchrotron X-ray scattering to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of dopamine-based ionic liquid crystals confined in cylindrical channels of 180 nm diameter in macroscopic anodic aluminum oxide membranes. As a function of the membranes' hydrophilicity and thus the molecular anchoring to the pore walls (edge-on or face-on) and the variation of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance between the aromatic cores and the alkyl side chain motifs of the superdiscs by tailored chemical synthesis, we find a particularly rich phase behavior, which is not present in the bulk state. It is governed by a complex interplay of liquid crystalline elastic energies (bending and splay deformations), polar interactions, and pure geometric confinement and includes textural transitions between radial and axial alignment of the columns with respect to the long nanochannel axis. Furthermore, confinement-induced continuous order formation is observed in contrast to discontinuous first-order phase transitions, which can be quantitatively described by Landau-de Gennes free energy models for liquid crystalline order transitions in confinement. Our observations suggest that the infiltration of DILCs into nanoporous solids allows tailoring their nanoscale texture and ion channel formation and thus their electrical and optical functionalities over an even wider range than in the bulk state in a homogeneous manner on the centimeter scale as controlled by the monolithic nanoporous scaffolds.

Impact of nanoconfinement on the physical state and conductivity mechanisms of a 2-picolinium ionic liquid crystal

Hybrid solid-like materials prepared from the incorporation of liquid-like ionic conductors into nanoporous matrices could represent an advantage for a variety of electronic applications. Aiming to obtain such materials, three composites of the polymorphic ionic liquid crystal (ILC) 1-hexadecyl-2-methylpyridinium bromide ([C16-2-Pic][Br]), loaded in the mesoporous inorganic silica SBA-15 (∼6.8 nm in pore diameter), were prepared at guest–host weight fractions of ∼ 40, 60 and 80% (w/w) and investigated by different techniques: ATR-FTIR, BET, TGA, XRD and DSC. Complete amorphisation was achieved for the 40 and 60% composites, while the 80% preparation was stabilised in the low-T morph of native C16, being in the liquid state at room temperature. Furthermore, through Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy, the ionic conductivity of the three hybrid materials was characterised, allowing to deconvolute this property in a pure ohmic contribution (conductivity I) and the overlapping of ac − dc transition with interfacial polarisation resulting from the coexistence of the ionic liquid and the quasi-insulating inorganic matrix (conductivity II). From –20 to 20 °C, the conductivity and the corresponding charge migration are faster in all composites relative to the neat ILC, as deduced from the inferior radii of Nyquist arcs. The 60% preparation stood out from the other materials, exhibiting direct conductivity unaffected by electrode polarisation over a larger T-range, leading to the assumption of a nearly continuous silica-mediated charge migration pathway, which is never reached for the 40% composite, while, in the 80% preparation, some C16 deposits on the outer surface of the pores. Incorporation into the silica matrix proved to be a good strategy for the production of cost-efficient materials with long-term stabilisation of the ionic liquid in a single phase over a large range of temperatures, enabling the prediction of flow and conductive properties.

Exploring dielectric properties and polarization relaxation processes in ionic liquid crystals with synthesized carbon and gold nanoparticles

The main goal is to study the structural and dielectric characteristics of advanced composite materials based on ionic metal alkanoates with various types of nanoparticles. The matrix Cd+2(C7H15COO)−2 formed as a result of the reaction of cadmium with the carboxylate groups of alkanoate (C7H15COO)−2 is used for the synthesis of nanoparticles. At room temperature, the matrix of the ionic crystalline material represents multilayer structure with each layer thickness of 1.8 nm. However, when heated in the temperature range from 100 °C to 180 °C, the matrix undergoes a phase transition into the liquid crystalline smectic A phase, preserved after cooling to room temperature. This transition opens up possibilities for the synthesis of carbon and gold nanoparticles. The temperature treatments of the matrix allow to control of the size and shape of nanoparticles during synthesis and create highly stable nanocomposites. The structural features and dielectric properties of these nanocomposites are studied using transmission electron microscopy, enabling to determine of the sizes of nanoparticles and their dispersion and impedance spectroscopy, respectively. Dielectric properties of nanocomposite materials were studied at different temperatures corresponding to two material phases. We carried out an analysis of the dielectric characteristics of the pure matrix in comparison with nanocomposite materials, containing carbon and gold nanoparticles to identify the role of the nanoparticles. Based on our experimental data, we proposed a model to explain the charge transfer process, taking into account relaxation processes and polarization of nanocomposite materials.

Smart emulsion system driven by light‐triggered ionic liquid molecules and its application in eco‐friendly water‐saving dyeing

AbstractThe smart emulsification and demulsification system with the light response is a useful tool in various industries, including green chemistry, catalytic reaction, pharmaceuticals, and environmental remediation. Herein, an ionic liquid crystal compound with a light triggered switch based on the azobenzene group [(4‐{3‐methyl‐1‐[3‐(8‐octyloxyoctyl)oxy‐4‐oxobutanoyl]imidazo‐lium‐1‐yl}octyl)oxy] ‐N‐(4‐methylphenyl)benzene‐1,2‐diazene bromide (MOIAzo), was designed and synthesized, which could cause reversible transition between emulsification and demulsification through the light trigger. The ionic liquid has an efficient photoinduced liquefaction process, which dramatically lowers the melting point of ionic liquids from 79 to 9.2 oC. This significantly broadens the liquid state temperature of the ionic liquid crystal. The ionic liquid crystal MOIAzo exhibits both photoinduced and thermally induced nematic liquid crystal properties. The smart emulsion system was effectively employed in an eco‐friendly water‐saving dyeing process of cationic dyes for cationic dyeable polyester (CDP) fabrics, which used only half the amount of water compared with the conventional water bath dyeing method. After dyeing, the oil and water phases can be efficiently separated through the light irradiation, and the oil phase can be reused for the subsequent dyeing process. This novel smart emulsion dyeing method greatly reduces the water consumption and wastewater discharge. MOIAzo as a light‐triggered ionic liquid molecule opens up new dimensions in green chemistry.

Ionic Liquid Crystals Based on Loop-Shaped Copper(I) Complexes.

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of liquid crystals based on loop-shaped cationic copper(I) complexes of a multidentate ligand. Their synthesis involves the one-pot reaction of an alkyloxy-decorated pyridine-aldehyde unit with a diamine (2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine)) spacer to form in situ a pyridine-imine quadridentate-N4-donor ligand, L, which is able to chelate a copper(I) center associated with various noncoordinating anions. All of these compounds were characterized by NMR, IR, and electronic absorption spectroscopy, and more particularly by X-ray diffraction and mass spectroscopy, enabling unambiguous assignment of the [ML]+ mononuclear nature of the cationic components. The presence of six flexible alkyloxy chains at each end of the ligand associated with the rigidity of the core complex causes induction of a liquid crystal state with a columnar self-organized architecture, where the columns are packed in a hexagonal two-dimensional network.

Enhanced tough recyclable hemiaminal dynamic covalent network with boron nitride composites material with high thermal conductivity at low filler content

The demand for thermal interface materials (TIMs) with outstanding heat dissipation capability is increasing due to the advancements of multifunctional, miniaturized and well-integrated electronic devices. Simultaneously, as the accumulation of e-waste continues to grow, the recyclability of TIMs has emerged as a pressing concern. Herein, we introduce a novel approach that combines flow casting and hot pressing to create a tough recyclable hemiaminal dynamic covalent network with boron nitride composites film, which shows exceptional recyclability and high thermal conductivity. This approach was accomplished by combining hemiaminal dynamic covalent networks (HDCNs) with ionic liquid crystal exfoliated boron nitride nanosheets (ILC(Cl)-BNNS) via in situ polymerization. The obtained HDCN/BNNS composites film can enjoy a remarkable in-plane thermal conductivity of 2.72 Wm−1K−1 under a BNNS loading of 9.00 wt%, thus achieving an impressive ≈1195% in thermal conductivity enhancement. Furthermore, the HDCN/BNNS composite film enables the recycling of the composites under mild conditions, resulting in the facile recovery of BNNS with nearly pristine morphology and an impressive yield of 72.50%. This work presents a novel approach for the design of recyclable and high-performance TIMs, offering promising prospects for future applications.

Quantum mechanical analysis of halogen-based ionic liquid crystal [C12MIM.X(where X = Cl, Br)] molecules

ABSTRACT The electrical and non-linear optical characteristics of 1-dodecyl 3-methyl-imidazolium chloride (C12MIM.Cl or DDMIM.Cl) and 1-dodecyl 3-methyl-imidazolium bromide (C12MIM.Br or DDMIM.Br) ionic liquid crystals for optoelectronic devices were investigated in this study utilising B3LYP method and 6-311++G(d,p) basis set with Gaussian09 software. The majority of ionic liquid crystal research to date has been experiment-driven, with very few theoretical studies on the material's optical characteristics. Additional understanding of the behaviour of ionic liquid crystals is revealed through molecular spectroscopic research. The electronic properties (molecular energy band gap, electrostatic potential map and HOMO–LUMO orbitals) and spectroscopic (IR, UV) characteristics were assessed with the aid of a theoretical/computational model at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), whereas a nonlinear optical (NLO) study was carried out using the B3LYP and M06-2X methods with 6-31G(d) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets. Results demonstrate reasonable nonlinear optical characteristics in these molecules.

Lyotropic ionic liquid crystal gels derived from polyimidazolium hydrogen sulfate for enhanced proton conductivity

AbstractAnisotropic gels developed from polymer networks accommodating lyotropic liquid crystals are promising electrolytes but electrochemically inert polymers prevent ions from being conducted efficiently. In this work, we synthesized protic ionic liquid polymer in lyotropic ionic liquid crystal to improve proton conduction across the polymer skeleton in anisotropic gels. In situ polymerization of 1‐vinylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ionic liquid dissolved in aqueous 1‐tetradecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate lyotropic liquid crystal gave chemical liquid crystal gels exhibiting both dynamic order and mechanical strength. The protic ionic liquid polymer bridged the hydrogen bond chains between neighboring ionic lyotropic liquid crystal domains to give a proton conductivity of 117 mS cm−1 at 25°C. Macroscopic alignment of the liquid crystal gel achieved by mechanical shearing promoted proton conductivity to 137 mS cm−1. The macroscopically aligned liquid crystal gel acted stably in a fuel cell device, delivering a peak power density 2.95 times higher than the unaligned one. Gelation of lyotropic ionic liquid crystals with protic ionic liquid polymer provides an effective strategy to develop anisotropic gel electrolytes for electrochemical devices.