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Polymers complexed with lithium salts are promising for use as solid electrolytes in solid-state lithium batteries. However, the key issue is the ionic conductivity and the process of enhancing it for better performance. Polyethylene glycol-based solid polymer electrolytes complexed with lithium salts are being investigated to explore their suitability in battery applications. In the present work, we report the investigations carried out on PEG-based solid polymer electrolyte complexed with lithium tri-fluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF3SO3). The ionic conductivity profile as a function of salt content is studied. The effect of the addition of inert nanofiller SiO2 is also investigated to understand the mechanism of enhancement of ionic conductivity. The preparation of the nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes and characterization by other techniques like powder XRD, IR spectroscopy, thermal measurements and conductivity profile obtained from AC impedance measurements are discussed to get an insight into the mechanism of ion transport and the influence of the addition of nanofiller.

The poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) systems consisting of NaBr as a dopant salt are prepared. The stable PEO:NaBr system with 3 wt% of NaBr was subjected to low-energy ion beam irradiation to bring in morphological modification. The irradiated samples are studied using complex impedance spectra to evaluate electrical conductivity and relaxation process in the system. The studies show an increase in conductivity by one order magnitude in the irradiated systems. The dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) curves show a single peak due to strong coupling of ion transport with segmental motion. The resultant relaxation time τ exhibits a continuous decrease indicating increase in segmental dynamics as a result of increased amorphous content in the system. The temperature-dependent studies also indicate that the irradiated systems are more disordered/amorphous compared to pure systems. This fact is further supported by XRD, by observing an increase in peak width associated with reduction in peak intensity. The Raman spectra also support the change in morphology of the system by the appearance of disordered-longitudinal acoustic mode band.

In the present work, a polymer electrolyte blend containing polymers Poly ethylene oxide (PEO) and Poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) was prepared. The polymer blend was complexed with potassium trifluoromethanesulfonate (KCF3SO3), and titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2) (10nm size) were dispersed in to the complex at different weight percentages. The conductivity due to ions in the blend is determined by Ac impedance measurements in the frequency range of 10Hz-1MHz. The nano composite polymer blend containing 5wt% of TiO2 shows a conductivity of 7.95×10−5Scm-1, which is almost 1.5 orders more than polymer electrolyte with PEO as a polymer. XRD studies show a decrease in the coherence length of XRD peaks on addition of nanoparticles, which is due to increase the amorphous phase in the systems. Temperature dependence conductivity studies of the systems shows that, activation energy decreases with increase in the percentage of nanoparticles in the blend.

Development of lithium ion batteries employing solid polymer electrolytes as electrolyte material has led to efficient energy storage and usage in many portable devices. However, due to a few drawbacks like lower ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), studies on SPEs for improvement in conductivity still have a good scope. In the present paper, we report the conductivity studies of a new SPE with low molecular weight poly ethylene glycol (PEG) as host polymer in which a salt with larger anion Lithium trifluro methane sulphonate (LTMS). XRD studies have revealed that the salt completely dissociates in the polymer giving a good stable electrolyte at lower salt concentration. Conductivity of the SPEs has been studied as a function of temperature and we reiterate that the conductivity is a thermally activated process and follows Arrhenius type behavior.

It is a well known fact that conductivity in case of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) is due to hopping of ions assisted by the segmental motion of polymer chains. It is observed that the ionic conductivity in SPEs increases with increase in the concentration of ions. After certain critical concentration the conductivity starts decreasing due to the formation of ion pairs. In this work, an attempt is made to identify the concentration at which ion pair formation occurs and hence improve conductivity by incorporating two different ions (salts) in the polymer matrix. SPEs with mixed conducting species PEOxLiBryNaBr with different concentration of salts have been prepared and investigated. Also an attempt is made to modify the crystalline phase of the host polymer by low energy ion beam (Oxygen ion, O+1 with energy 100 keV) irradiation. These observations place ion irradiation as an effective tool in improving ionic conductivity in SPEs. Using X-ray diffraction spectra and the temperature dependent conductivity studies of SPEs, the effect of mixed ions and ion irradiation on the ionic conductivity of SPEs is investigated and presented.

Nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (NCSPEs) with conducting species other than Li ions are being investigated for solid-state battery applications. Pristine solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) do not show ionic conductivity suitable for batteries. Addition of inert fillers to SPEs is known to enhance the ionic conductivity. In this paper, we present the role of silica nanoparticles in enhancing the ionic conductivity in NCSPEs with sodium as conducting species. Sodium bromide is complexed with the host polyethylene glycol polymer by solution cast method and silica nanoparticles (SiO2, average particle size 7 nm) are incorporated into the complex in small amounts. The composites are characterized by powder XRD and IR spectroscopy. Conductivity measurements are undertaken as a function of concentration of salt and also as a function of temperature using impedance spectroscopy. Addition of silica nanoparticles shows an enhancement in conductivity by 1-2 orders of magnitude. The results are discussed in terms of interaction of nanoparticles with the nonconducting anions.

Solid Polymer Electrolytes (SPEs) lack better conducting properties at ambient temperatures. Various methods to enhance their ionic conductivity like irradiation with swift heavy ions, γ-rays, swift electrons and quenching at low temperature etc., have been explored in the literature. Among these, one of the oldest methods is incorporation of different conducting species into the polymer matrix and/or addition of nano-sized inert particles into SPEs. Various new salts like LiBr, Mg(ClO4)2, NH4I etc., have already been tried in the past with some success. Also various nanoparticles like Al2O3, TiO2 etc., have been tried in the past. In this article, we have investigated an SPE containing Rubidium as a conducting species. Rubidium has a larger ionic size compared to lithium and sodium ions which have been investigated in the recent past. In the present article, we have investigated the conductivity of large sized conducting species and shown the enhancement in the ionic conductivity by addition of nano-sized inert particles.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have potential applications in solid state electronic and energy devices. The optimum conductivity of SPEs required for such applications is about 10−1 – 10−3 Scm−1, which is hard to achieve in these systems. It is observed that ionic conductivity of SPEs continuously increase with increasing concentration of inorganic salt in the host polymer. However, there is a critical concentration of the salt beyond which the conductivity of SPEs decreases due to the formation of ion pairs. In the present study, solid polymer thin films based on poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) complexed with NaBr salt with different concentrations have been prepared and the concentration at which ion pair formation occurs in PEOxNaBr is identified. The microstructure of the SPE with highest ionic conductivity is modified by irradiating it with low energy O+1 ion (100 keV) of different fluencies. It is observed that the ionic conductivity of irradiated SPEs increases by one order in magnitude. The increa...

Nanocrystalline porous CaSiO3 ceramic powders have been synthesized by a novel low-temperature initiated self-propagating, gas-producing solution combustion method. Single phase β-CaSiO3 (Wollastonite) is formed by calcination at 900°C for 3 h. The crystallization and phase formation temperatures in this method are found to be lower compared to the powder obtained via solid state reaction method. The powder is characterized by powder XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), and crystallite sizes are evaluated using Scherrer's formula as well as from TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy). The Wollastonite powder is exposed to 60Co γ-radiation to accumulated doses of 1, 3, and 5 KGy and low-frequency (102–106 Hz) dielectric measurements are carried out before and after irradiation. The dielectric conductivity is estimated from the dielectric constant and loss tangent. Exposure to γ-radiation results in substantial modification in the properties of the ceramic powder due to changes in the porosity of the material. The correlation between dielectric and conductivity properties is discussed in relation to porosity effect.

We have prepared, characterized and investigated a new PEG-2000 based solid polymer electrolyte (PEG)x: NH4NO3. Ionic conductivity measurements have been made as a function of salt concentration as well as temperature in the range 265–330 K. Selected compositions of the electrolyte are exposed to a beam of 8 MeV electrons and 60Co γ-rays to an accumulated dose of 10 kGy to study the effect on ionic conductivity. The electrolyte samples are also quenched at liquid nitrogen temperature and conductivity measurements are carried out. The ionic conductivity at room temperature exhibits a characteristic peak for the composition, x = 46. Electron beam irradiation results in an increase in conductivity for all compositions by a factor of 2–3. Exposure to γ-rays enhances the conductivity by one order of magnitude. Quenching at low temperature has resulted in an increase in conductivity by 1–2 orders of magnitude. The enhancement of conductivity upon irradiation and quenching is interpreted as due to an increase in amorphous region and decrease in crystallinity of the electrolyte. DSC and NMR measurements also support this conclusion.

Over the past three decades, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have drawn significant attention of researchers due to their prospective commercial applications in high energy-density batteries, electrochemical sensors and super-capacitors. The optimum conductivity required for such applications is about 10{sup −2} – 10{sup −4} S/cm, which is hard to achieve in these systems. It is known that the increase in the concentration of salt in the host polymer results in a continuous increase in the ionic conductivity. However, there is a critical concentration of the salt beyond which the conductivity decreases due to formation of ion pairs with no net charge. In the present study, an attempt is made to identify the concentration at which ion pair formation occurs in PEO: RbBr. We have attempted to modify microstructure of the host polymer matrix by low energy ion (Oxygen ion, O{sup +1} with energy 100 keV) irradiation. Ionic conductivity measurements in these systems were carried out using Impedance Spectroscopy before and after irradiation to different fluencies of the oxygen ion. It is observed that the conductivity increases by one order in magnitude. The increase in ionic conductivity may be attributed to the enhanced segmental motion of the polymer chains. The study revealsmore » the importance of ion irradiation as an effective tool to enhance conductivity in SPEs.« less

In this paper, we report an enhancement in ionic conductivity in a new nano-composite solid polymer electrolyte namely, (PEG) x LiBr: y(SiO2). The samples were prepared, characterized, and investigated by XRD, IR, NMR, and impedance spectroscopy. Conductivity as a function of salt concentration shows a double peak. Five weight percent addition of silica nanoparticles increases the ionic conductivity by two orders of magnitude. Conductivity exhibits an Arrhenius type dependence on temperature. IR study has shown that the existence of nanoparticles in the vicinity of terminal O―H group results in a shift in IR absorption frequency and increase in amplitude of vibration of the terminal O―H group. This might lead to an enhancement in conductivity due to increased segmental motion of the polymer. 7Li NMR spectroscopic studies also seem to support this. Thus addition of nanoparticle inert fillers still seems to be a promising technique to enhance the ionic conductivity in solid polymer electrolytes.

Dielectric and conductivity behaviors of nano ZnO doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites for various concentrations of dopant were investigated using impedance spectroscopy for a wide range of temperatures (303 K–423 K) and frequencies (5 Hz–30 MHZ). The dielectric properties of host polymer matrix have been improved by the addition of nano ZnO and are found to be highly temperature dependent. Anomalous dielectric behavior was observed in the frequency range of 2.5 MHz–5 MHz. Increase in dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss was observed with respect to temperature. The Cole-Cole plot could be modeled by low resistance regions in a high resistance matrix and the lowest resistance was observed for the 10 mol. % films. The imaginary part of the electric modulus showed asymmetric peaks with the relaxation following Debye nature below and non-Debye nature above the peaks. The ac conductivity is found to obey Jonscher's power law, whereas the variation of dc conductivity with temperature was found to f...

1H and 19F spin-lattice relaxation times in polycrystalline diammonium hexafluorozirconate have been measured in the temperature range of 10–400 K to elucidate the molecular motion of both cation and anion. Interesting features such as translational diffusion at higher temperatures, molecular reorientational motion of both cation and anion groups at intermediate temperatures and quantum rotational tunneling of the ammonium group at lower temperatures have been observed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation time results correlate well with the NMR second moment and conductivity studies reported earlier.