Investigating the Electrochemical Window of 1-Methylimidazolium Acetate and its Effect as Dopant to Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Fibers

Ionic liquids are a special class of materials that are currently being studied for their potential application as electrolytes for supercapacitors due to their thermal and electrochemical stability. In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of an ionic liquid, 1-methylimidazolium acetate (MIMOAc), its electrochemical properties and its amenability as dopant in the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, a material commonly utilized as separator membrane for energy storage devices. MIMOAc was synthesized via solventless sonochemical reaction involving 1-methylimidazole and acetic acid. The synthesized IL was then analyzed by cyclic voltammetry to determine its electrochemical window, the range in which no visible oxidation and reduction of the material occurs. It was found out that MIMOAc has a wide potential window of 3.6 V rendering it a formidable candidate as electrolyte for supercapacitors. Furthermore, the IL was used as dopant in the electrospinning of PAN solution in the production of fibers. Based from AFM and SEM data, it was observed that the ionic liquid facilitated in the formation of thinner and consistent PAN fibers as compared to the undoped ones.