Thermoplastic elastomer hydrogels

1. A block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:

a glass formed from a dry blend comprising polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS; and

a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight, the liquid medium comprising at least one room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL);

the block copolymer hydrogel having a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles, wherein the compression cycles operate with at least 12% compression at a frequency of about 1 Hz, and the compression cycles operate with at least 50% compression at least every eleventh cycle and wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 80% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

2. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio is between about 80:20 and about 20:80 SO/SOS.

3. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the polystyrene is a partially or fully hydrogenated polystyrene.

4. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is heated to a temperature between about 100° C. and about 180° C., under a pressure between about 50 psig and about 800 psig, and for between about 5 minutes and about 50 minutes.

5. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium concentration is between about 16:1 and about 4:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight.

6. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 92% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

7. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the at least one room-temperature ionic liquid comprises 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide.

8. A glass comprising: glassy domains having a glass transition temperature of at least 60° C.; and crystalline domains, wherein the glass is formed from a dry blend of polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS, wherein the polystyrene is a partially or a fully hydrogenated polystyrene.

9. The glass of claim 8 , wherein the molar ratio is between about 80:20 and about 20:80 SO/SOS.

10. The glass of claim 8 formed from heating the SO—SOS dry blend to a temperature between about 100° C. and about 180° C., under a pressure between about 50 psig and about 800 psig, and for between about 5 minutes and about 50 minutes.

11. A membrane, comprising a block copolymer hydrogel of claim 1 , the membrane having a CO 2 /N 2 selectivities between about 20:1 and about 60:1.

12. A battery separator, comprising a block copolymer hydrogel of claim 1 , the battery separator increasing effective resistance of an electrolyte by a factor of less than about 4.

13. The battery separator of claim 12 , have a porosity of at least about 80%.

14. A method for preparing a block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:

contacting polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS to form an SO—SOS dry blend;

heating the SO—SOS dry blend to form an SO—SOS melt;

allowing the SO—SOS melt to attain ambient temperature to form an SO—SOS glass; and

contacting the SO—SOS glass with a liquid medium to form a block copolymer hydrogel, wherein the liquid medium comprises at least one room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL),

the block copolymer hydrogel having a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles, wherein the compression cycles operate with at least 12% compression at a frequency of about 1 Hz, and the compression cycles operate with at least 50% compression at least every eleventh cycle and wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 80% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is formed by dissolving the SO and SOS in an organic solvent and removing the organic solvent.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the molar ratio is between about 80:20 and about 20:80 SO/SOS.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is heated to a temperature between about 100° C. and about 180° C., under a pressure between about 50 psig and about 800 psig, and for between about 5 minutes and about 50 minutes.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the liquid medium concentration is between about 16:1 and about 4:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 92% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one room-temperature ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([EMIM][TFSI]), 1-hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([HMIM][TFSI]), 1-vinyl-3-ethyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([VEIM][TFSI]), 1-allyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([AMIM][TFSI]), 1-hexyl-3-butyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([HBIM][TFSI]), 1-vinyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([VMIM][TFSI]), 1-hydroxyundecanyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([(C 11 OH)MIM][TFSI]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([EMIM][TCM]), tetrabutylphosphonium taurinate, ([P4444][Tau]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([EMIM][DCA]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-alkyl imidazolium dicyanamide ([(dhp)MIM][DCA]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([(dhp)MIM][BF4]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide ([(dhp)MIM][TFSI]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([(dhp)MIM][PF6]), and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one room-temperature ionic liquid comprises 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide.

22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising hydrogenating the polystyrene.

23. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein chain ends of the SO are functionalized with azide and alkyne groups.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein chain ends of the SO are functionalized with azide and alkyne groups, and wherein the method further comprises coupling the SO chain ends in the liquid medium to modify the SO/SOS molar ratio.

25. The hydrogel of claim 1 , wherein the at least one room-temperature ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([EMIM][TFSI]), 1-hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([HMIM][TFSI]), 1-vinyl-3-ethyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([VEIM][TFSI]), 1-allyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([AMIM][TFSI]), 1-hexyl-3-butyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([HBIM][TFSI]), 1-vinyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([VMIM][TFSI]), 1-hydroxyundecanyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([(C 11 OH)MIM][TFSI]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([EMIM][TCM]), tetrabutylphosphonium taurinate, ([P4444][Tau]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([EMIM][DCA]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-alkyl imidazolium dicyanamide ([(dhp)MIM][DCA]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([(dhp)MIM][BF4]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide ([(dhp)MIM][TFSI]), 1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-alkyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([(dhp)MIM][PF6]), and combinations thereof.

26. A block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:

a glass formed from a dry blend comprising polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS; and

a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight, the liquid medium comprising at least one buffer;

the block copolymer hydrogel having a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles, wherein the compression cycles operate with at least 12% compression at a frequency of about 1 Hz, and the compression cycles operate with at least 50% compression at least every eleventh cycle and wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 80% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

27. The hydrogel of claim 26 , wherein the at least one buffer is selected from the group consisting of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Ringer's solution.

28. The hydrogel of claim 27 , wherein the at least one buffer is phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).

29. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein the molar ratio is between about 80:20 and about 20:80 SO/SOS.

30. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein the polystyrene is a partially or fully hydrogenated polystyrene.

31. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is heated to a temperature between about 100° C. and about 180° C., under a pressure between about 50 psig and about 800 psig, and for between about 5 minutes and about 50 minutes.

32. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein the liquid medium concentration is between about 16:1 and about 4:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight.

33. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 92% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

34. The hydrogel of claim 28 , wherein chain ends of the SO are functionalized with azide and alkyne groups.

35. A method for preparing a block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:

contacting polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS to form an SO—SOS dry blend;

heating the SO—SOS dry blend to form an SO—SOS melt;

allowing the SO—SOS melt to attain ambient temperature to form an SO—SOS glass; and

contacting the SO—SOS glass with a liquid medium to form a block copolymer hydrogel, wherein the liquid medium comprises at least one buffer,

the block copolymer hydrogel having a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles, wherein the compression cycles operate with at least 12% compression at a frequency of about 1 Hz, and the compression cycles operate with at least 50% compression at least every eleventh cycle and wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 80% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the at least one buffer is selected from the group consisting of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Ringer's solution.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the at least one buffer is phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is formed by dissolving the SO and SOS in an organic solvent and removing the organic solvent.

39. The method of claim 37 , wherein the molar ratio is between about 80:20 and about 20:80 SO/SOS.

40. The method of claim 37 , wherein the SO—SOS dry blend is heated to a temperature between about 100° C. and about 180° C., under a pressure between about 50 psig and about 800 psig, and for between about 5 minutes and about 50 minutes.

41. The method of claim 37 , wherein the liquid medium concentration is between about 16:1 and about 4:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight.

42. The method of claim 37 , wherein the fatigue resistance is characterized by a modulus recoverable to at least 92% of its value before the compression cycles were run.

43. The method of claim 37 , further comprising hydrogenating the polystyrene.

44. The method of claim 37 , wherein chain ends of the SO are functionalized with azide and alkyne groups, and wherein the method further comprises coupling the SO chain ends in the liquid medium to modify the SO/SOS molar ratio.