“PolyMOB”–lithium salt complexes: from salt-in-polymer to polymer-in-salt electrolytes

Lithium polyMOB has been investigated as the polymer in a polymer-in-salt type electrolyte incorporating the salts lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4). While all salts give rubbery solids at high salt contents, only LiClO4 provides high conductivity because only in the case of LiClO4 is the lithium cation motion highly decoupled from the structural relaxation. The crystallization of the salt at high salt contents prevents a favorable combination of mechanical and electrical properties, but the system provides an excellent example of the principle of the polymer-in-salt ionic rubber electrolyte and the factors determining its performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]