Curable Imidazolium Poly(ionic liquid)/Ionic Liquid Coating for Containment and Decontamination of Toxic Industrial Chemical-Contacted Substrates

Abstract

A curable, imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) coating system has been developed for the containment and decontamination of toxic industrial chemical-contacted surfaces. The curing times and mechanical properties of this poly(RTIL)/RTIL platform, which is based on alcohol–isocyanate step-growth polymerization chemistry, can be tuned by modifying the structures of the step-growth monomers, the stoichiometric ratio of linear (diol, A 2 ) to cross-linking (triol, A 3 ) RTIL monomers used, and the amount of free RTIL in the formulation. When applied to painted steel and rubber test substrates contacted with o -dichlorobenzene ( o -DCB) (a polychlorinated biphenyl simulant), a 50:50 ( A 2: A 3 ) step-growth alcohol-RTIL monomer mixture cross-linked with a stoichiometric amount of a commercial di-isocyanate monomer ( B 2 ) and containing 43 wt % free RTIL in the coating, reduced the o -DCB vapor amount by 96–99% compared to the uncoated, o -DCB-contacted control samples. This peelable, flexible, solid coating also removed by sorption up to >99% of the o -DCB liquid applied to the substrates after 24 h of contact.