Ionic conduction in polyether-based lithium arylfluorosulfonimide ionic melt electrolytes

• Published in: Electrochimica acta 2009-10, Vol.54 (24), p.5877-5883
• Main Authors: Herath, Mahesha B., Creager, Stephen E., Rajagopal, Rama V., Geiculescu, Olt E., DesMarteau, Darryl D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemistry; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Electrochemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Ionic conductivity; Ionic melt; Lithium arylfluorosulfonimide; Lithium batteries; Polyethylene glycol; Properties of electrolytes: conductivity
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2009.05.050

We report synthesis, characterization and ion transport in polyether-based ionic melt electrolytes consisting of Li salts of low-basicity anions covalently attached to polyether oligomers. Purity of the materials was investigated by HPLC analysis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The highest ionic conductivity of 7.1 × 10 −6 S/cm at 30 °C was obtained for the sample consisting of a lithium salt of an arylfluorosulfonimide anion attached to a polyether oligomer with an ethyleneoxide (EO) to lithium ratio of 12. The conductivity order of various ionic melts having different polyether chain lengths suggests that at higher EO:Li ratios the conductivity of the electrolytes at room temperature is determined in part by the amount of crystallization of the polyether portion of the ionic melt.