Abstract:
Herein we demonstrate the design and synthesis of liquid crystalline gels through multi-scale hierarchical
self-assembly of LAPONITEs and amidodiol in water. These two components interact with each other
through non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and ion–dipole interactions, to form highly
ordered superstructures in different dimensions and length scales. Effects of concentration of amidodiol
and timescale on specific modes of packing were studied using various microscopic and spectroscopic
techniques, such as PLM, SEM, TEM, XRD, rheology and FTIR. Presence of hydroxyl groups was confirmed by
chemical analysis. A plausible mechanism for the formation of superstructures in functionalized LAPONITEs–
amidodiol gel (FLAG) was proposed. Electrochemical impedance studies of the FLAG showed low charge
transfer resistance (245 O) with a stable rectangular electrochemical window ( 0.4 V to 1.5 V). Galvanostatic
studies revealed good cycling stability with a specific capacitance of 1856 mF g 1. Results suggest that
FLAGs can be exploited as an efficient gel electrolyte in energy storage devices
