Rapid Preparation of Silsesquioxane-Based Ionic Liquids

Three new hybrid ionic liquids (ILs) based on cage silsesquioxane (SQ) were rapidly prepared in high yields from octa(mercaptopropyl)silsesquioxane and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium salts (Br-, BF4-, PF6-) through the photochemical thiol-ene reaction. These SQ-based ILs exhibited low glass transition temperatures and good thermal stability. The unique amphiphilic nature of these hybrid ILs cause them to self-assemble into perfect vesicles with yolk-shell structures, in which cages formed the yolk due to their aggregation and outer anions formed the shell.