Shockwave dissipation strategies harnessing soft composites with ionic liquid inclusion

We present a novel approach for dissipating shockwave pressure by leveraging ionic liquids (ILs) within a soft composite matrix. Ionic liquids are known for their exceptional ability to dissipate shockwave energy due to their nano-phase-separated microstructures. However, their liquid or pseudo-gel phases hinder their integration into structural materials, such as shockwave-resistant armors. To overcome this limitation, we designed a composite in which ILs are incorporated as discrete droplets within a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer network, crosslinked via thiol-ene chemistry. This composite design preserves the material’s structural integrity while enhancing shockwave dissipation through scattering effects. By homogenizing ILs with PDMS precursors, we successfully embedded well-dispersed IL droplets into the matrix. Our findings demonstrate that the incorporation of IL droplets significantly improves both shockwave energy dissipation and the stiffness of the composite, attributed to hydrogen bonding interactions between the ILs and thiol groups in the PDMS matrix. This study highlights the potential of IL-based soft composites as an effective strategy for shockwave mitigation, offering a promising new direction for protective applications.

Graphical abstract

Ionic liquids inclusions in silicone-based soft composites enhance shockwave pressure attenuation performance by dissipating and scattering the input shockwaves. These results provide a novel strategy for developing shockwave pressure dissipating materials.