Nitrogen-Doped Carbons Derived from Poly(Ionic Liquid)s with Various Backbones and Cations

In this study, poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) with various backbone/cation pairings (backbones - ethyl methacrylate, styrene; covalently attached cations - butylimidazolium, trimethylammonium, butylpyrrolidinium) were successfully synthesized as carbon precursors. Pyrolysis of PILs produced carbons with sheet-like structures with a metallic luster in contrast to the powder form of carbons produced from polyacrylonitrile. The results also show that cation type has a significant impact on surface area, graphitic content, graphitic nitrogen content, nitrogen retention, carbon yield and surface chemistry of the PIL-derived carbons. The design of nitrogen-doped carbons based on a diverse set of PILs with various cation and polymer backbone chemistries may be an effective strategy to optimize carbon properties for subsequent application in energy storage devices.