Structure, morphology and ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolyte

• Published in: Materials research bulletin 2011-11, Vol.46 (11), p.2009-2015
• Main Authors: Dey, Arup, Karan, S., Dey, Ashis, De, S.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A. Polymers; ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY; ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY; B. Chemical synthesis; C. Differential scanning calorimetry; CERIUM OXIDES; D. Infrared spectroscopy; E. Ionic conductivity; ELECTROLYTES; FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS; FOURIER TRANSFORMATION; GRAIN BOUNDARIES; INFRARED SPECTRA; INTERACTIONS; IONIC CONDUCTIVITY; LEWIS ACIDS; MATERIALS SCIENCE; NANOSTRUCTURES; POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS; POTASSIUM IODIDES; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; X-RAY DIFFRACTION
• ISSN: 0025-5408; 1873-4227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2011.07.008

Two-dimensional atomic force image of pure polyethylene oxide presents a crystallized network of regular spherulites developing spirals and branches of well distributed surface contours. [Display omitted] ► The incorporation of ceria significantly modifies the morphology of polyethylene oxide (PEO)–KI complex. ► The ionic conductivity increases by about two orders of magnitude by the addition of ceria nanoparticles. ► Ionic conductivity as a function of ceria concentration reveals two maxima. ► Grain boundary effect of nanofiller, strong Lewis acid-base interaction between PEO and nanosized ceria, change of conformation of PEO molecule and epitaxial effect of ceria nanoparticles control the ionic conductivity of composite polymer electrolyte. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) complexed with potassium iodide (KI) is synthesized to investigate the ionic conductivity of alkaline based polymer electrolytes. The structural and morphological characterizations of the nanocomposite polymer electrolytes are performed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. The ionic conductivity increases with the increase of KI concentration up to about 20 wt.%. The effect of nanosized ceria (CeO 2 ∼ 10 nm) fillers on ionic conductivity in PEO–KI polymer electrolyte is also carried out, keeping PEO to KI wt.% ratio 80:20 and 85:15. The result reveals that the addition of ceria nanoparticles enhances the conductivity by two orders of magnitude. The presence of ceria at the highest concentration induces the same molecular environment within PEO chain as that of undoped PEO. Temperature dependence of ionic conductivity follows Arrhenius mechanism.