Progressive function of ionic liquids in polymer chemistry

The application of ionic liquid is not limited to its use as a solvent. It is not only employed as additives to the varieties of polymer formation and its hybrids but also used as plasticizers, porogenic agents, and components of polymer electrolytes. Ionic liquids are also considered a component of the polymeric matrixes, novel electrolytes for electrochemical polymerization, and templates for porous polymer. The functionality of the polymeric material increases due to the charge density of the resulting material and solubility of ionic liquid but in the case of hybrid material, it is due to the basic mobility of ionic liquid. Nanoporous polymer incorporated ionic liquid monomer can develop many new materials which have many applications in the area of fuel cell membrane and battery. The significant properties like the low vapor pressure, thermal stability, electrochemical applications, catalytic ability, nanofluids, and membrane proton conductivity associated with incorporated ionic liquids in polymer make it more interesting and valuable for industrial applications. Incorporation of ionic liquid in the polymeric membrane can modify the transport and separation properties of the membrane and it can also be applied for pervaporation, separation of mixtures of liquid, separation of mixtures of metal ion, and separation of mixtures of gas. Polymer-based solid electrolytes show superior properties like good flexibility and high mechanical properties. The main objective of this chapter is to give a synopsis of the variety of ionic liquid and its incorporated polymer and ionic liquid-polymer composite with a new emphasis on new strategies used in the development of more and newly designed functions of ionic liquid in polymer and their application