We present a new concept for the design of a polymeric conducting material that combines the chemical versatility of an organic salt ( ionic liquid) with the morphological versatility of a biopolymer ( gelatin); the resulting 'ion jelly' can be applied in electrochemical devices, such as batteries, fuel cells, electrochromic windows or photovoltaic cells.

Different polymeric materials have been prepared from the oroartopels formed by a polymerizable methacrylic mixture (methyl i-nethacrylate/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1: 1, w/w) and the macrocyclic pseudopeptide 1. The use of (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)diphenylphosphine oxide as it very efficient radical initiator allows polymeric materials in which the structure of the fibrils formed by self-assembly of the organogelator 1 is truly preserved to be obtained. Removal of the pseudopeptidic molecule provides materials with a porous structure reflecting that of the original self-assembled fibrils. The use of fluorescent probes Such as rhodamine B and pyrene greatly facilitate the Study of the porous structures formed and, accordingly, that of the morphology of the original fibrils. Those studies reveal the presence of a permanent porosity and the organization of the Substructures as a porous network. This confirms the existence of a nucleation and growth mechanism for the generation of the fibrils, giving rise to the formation of spherulitic structures. Those spherulites are additionally linked by connections of variable size. A series of diffusion experiments allowed establishment of a direct dependence of the inner porosity of the materials oil the amount of self-organizing template used for their preparation.