Water Dynamics in Ionic Polymers

Many ion-containing polymers with fixed charges rely on water to achieve high ionic conductivity. These systems present an interesting platform for study where the polymer dynamics are much slower than the water dynamics. The intermolecular interactions between the polymer and water, and the specific hydration interactions of the ions contribute to the behavior of these materials. By characterizing and manipulating the water dynamics in ionic polymers we can change the properties. In addition to the interplay between the water dynamics in the material and ion conductivity, we hypothesize that the water sorbed into the ionic domains also controls other transport properties of the membrane, such as salt permeability. The utility of investigating how water interacts with ion-containing polymers and material design principles to control these interactions will be discussed in this talk.