A facile preparation of composites composed of cellulose and polymeric ionic liquids by in situ polymerization of ionic liquids having acrylate groups

Abstract In this study, a facile preparation of the composites composed of cellulose and the polyacrylate‐type polymeric ionic liquids was carried out by the in situ polymerization of the polymerizable ionic liquids. The two polymerizable ionic liquids were employed, which had one polymerizable group (acrylate) and two polymerizable groups (acrylate and vinyl). First, the pretreatment of cellulose in the mixtures of the two ionic liquids were performed, resulting in disrupting most crystalline structure of cellulose. Then, the radical polymerization of the ionic liquids in the pretreated mixtures was carried out by AIBN to obtain the composites. The analytical data of the composites indicated the good compatibility between cellulose and the polymeric ionic liquids. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the composites were measured by a tensile tester. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers