Ionic conductor, process for production thereof, and electrochemical device

An ionic conductor comprising at least a polymer of carbon clusters having the formula (1):

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• where R1 includes a hydrocarbon group or a derivative thereof, A1 and A2 is selected from the group consisting of an element including any one of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, and functional groups containing one or more of the elements wherein at least one of A1 and A2 are contained in the polymer;
• Q includes a residue of carbon cluster;
• R2 includes a hydrocarbon group or a derivative thereof;
• Zy−qMx+p includes an ion-dissociating group where x, y, p, and q are natural numbers such that px=qy;
• Mx+ includes a cation with a valence value of x;
• m represents the number of the ion-dissociating groups introduced into each of the carbon cluster residues;
• and n represents the degree of polymerization.

A process for producing an ionic conductor at least including a polymer having a formula (1), the process comprising the steps of:

• forming a carbon cluster polymer having a formula (2);
• and
• introducing an ion dissociating functional group into the carbon cluster polymer wherein
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• where R1 includes any one of a hydrocarbon group and a derivative thereof;
• A1 and A2 is selected from the group consisting of an element including any one of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, and a functional group containing one or more of the elements, wherein at least one of A1 and A2 is contained in the polymer;
• Q represents a residue of carbon cluster;
• R2 includes any one of a hydrocarbon group and a derivative thereof;
• Zy−qMx+p includes an ion-dissociating group where x, y, p, and q include a natural numbers such that px=qy;
• Mx+ represents a cation with a valence value of x;
• m represents a number of the ion-dissociating groups introduced into each of the carbon cluster residues;
• and n represents the degree of polymerization.

A process for producing an ionic conductor at least including a polymer having the formula (1), the process comprising the steps of:

• forming a carbon cluster monomer having an ion dissociating functional group wherein the carbon cluster monomer has the formula (3);
• and
• forming a carbon cluster polymer having the formula (1) via a condensation reaction of the carbon cluster monomer wherein
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• where R1 includes any one of a hydrocarbon group and a derivative thereof;
• A1 and A2 are selected from the group consisting of an element including nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, and a functional group including one or more of the elements, wherein at least one of A1 and A2 is contained in the polymer;
• Q includes a residue of carbon cluster;
• R2 includes any one of a hydrocarbon group and a derivative thereof;
• Zy−qMx+p includes an ion-dissociating group where x, y, p, and q represent natural numbers such that px=qy;
• Mx+ represents a cation with a valence value of x;
• m represents a number of the ion-dissociating groups introduced into each of the carbon cluster residues;
• n represents a degree of polymerization;
• R3 includes any one of a hydrocarbon group and a derivative thereof;
• and A3 is selected from the group consisting of an element including any one of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, and a functional group containing one or more of the elements.

An electrochemical device comprising a first electrode, a second electrode and an ionic conductor disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the ionic conductor is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of carbon clusters having one or more ion releasing group wherein the carbon clusters are bonded together via a spacer molecule, and at least a polymer of carbon clusters having the formula (1):

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• where R1 includes a hydrocarbon group or a derivative thereof;
• A1 and A2 is selected from the group consisting of an element including any one of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, and functional groups containing one or more of the elements wherein at least one of A1 and A2 are contained in the polymer;
• Q includes a residue of carbon cluster;
• R2 includes a hydrocarbon group or a derivative thereof;
• Zy−qMx+p includes an ion-dissociating group where x, y, p, and q are natural numbers such that px=qy;
• Mx+ includes a cation with a valence value of x;
• m represents the number of the ion-dissociating groups introduced into each of the carbon cluster residues;
• and n represents the degree of polymerization.