PEO-LiClO<Subscript>4</Subscript>-ZSM5 composite polymer electrolyte (IV): Polarized optical microscopy study

Polarized optical microscopy (POM) results show that ZSM5 has great influence on both the nucleation stage and the growth stage of PEO spherulites. Part of ZSM5 particles can act as the nucleus of PEO spherulites and thus increase the amount of PEO spherulites. On the other hand, ZSM5 can restrain the recrystallization tendency of PEO chains through Lewis acid-base interaction and hence decrease the growth speed of PEO spherulites. The increasing amount of PEO spherulites, decreasing size of PEO spherulites, and the incomplete crystallization are all beneficial for creating more continuous amorphous phases of PEO, which is very important for the transporting of Li⁺ ions. An adequate amount of ZSM5 can enhance the room temperature ionic conductivity of PEO-LiClO₄ based polymer electrolyte for more than two magnitudes.     

Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 filler effect on (PEO)LiClO4 solid polymer electrolyte

Composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) films consisting of PEO, LiClO₄, and Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ with fixed EO/Li = 8 but different relative compositions of the two lithium salts were prepared by the solution casting method. The CPE films were characterized using SEM, DSC, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and ion transference number measurement. It was found that the incorporation of LiClO₄ and Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ into PEO by keeping EO/Li = 8 reduced the crystallinity of PEO from 50.34% to the range of 3.57–15.63% depending upon the relative composition of the two salts. The room temperature impedance spectra of the CPE films all exhibited a shape of depressed semicircle in the high frequency range and inclined line in the low frequency range, but the high temperature ones were mainly inclined lines. The Li⁺ ionic conductivity of the CPE films mildly increased and then decreased with increasing Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ content, and the maximum conductivities were obtained at Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ content of 15 wt % for all measuring temperatures, for example, 1.378 × 10^?3 S/cm at 100 °C and 1.387 × 10^?5 S/cm at 25 °C. The temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity of the CPE films follows the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher (VTF) equation The pseudo activation energies (E_a) were rather low, 0.053–0.062 eV, indicating an easy migration of Li⁺ in the amorphous phase dominant PEO. The pre‐exponent constant A and ion transference number t_Li+ were found to have a similar variation tendency with increasing Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ content and reached their maximums also at Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ content of 15 wt %. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 743–751, 2005     

PEO-LiClO4-ZSM5复合聚合物电解质 I. 电化学研究

首次以“择形”分子筛ZSM5为填料, 通过溶液浇铸法制得PEO-LiClO₄-ZSM5全固态复合聚合物电解质(CPE)膜. 交流阻抗实验表明ZSM5的引入可以显著地提高CPE的离子电导率. 利用交流阻抗-稳态电流相结合的方法对CPE的锂离子迁移数进行了测定, 结果表明掺入ZSM5后锂离子迁移数明显升高. ZSM5的含量为10%时, CPE同时具有最高离子电导率1.4×10^－5 S•cm^－1(25 ℃)和最大锂离子迁移数0.353. PEO-LiClO₄-ZSM5/Li电极界面稳定性实验表明PEO-LiClO₄-ZSM5复合聚合物电解质在全固态锂离子电池领域具有良好的应用前景.     

Melt crystallization and segmental dynamics of poly(ethylene oxide) confined in a solid electrolyte composite

The isothermal melt crystallization and the corresponding segmental dynamics, of a high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) confined by Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) particles in solid electrolyte composites, were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), respectively. Our results show that the overall crystallinity is positively correlated with the surface area of LLZO particles. The primary and secondary crystallization processes are identified by a modified Avrami equation, while two dynamic modes, the α relaxation and α′ relaxation, were in the DRS measurements. The results reveal an unambiguous correlation between the primary crystallization and the α relaxation, while a correlation between the second crystallization and the α′ relaxation concurrently exist in the electrolyte composites. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 466–477     

Single-ion and salt conductor polymer electrolytes based on poly(4-vinylpyridine) quaternized with poly(ethylene oxide) side chains

A new type of single-ion conductor with fixed cation was synthesized by spontaneous anionic polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine in the presence of short polyethylene oxide ( PEO ) chains as alkylating agents. These comblike polymers have low T_gs and are amorphous with the shorter PEO s. Their conductivities are unaffected by the nature of the anion ( Br ⁻, ClO ₄⁻, and tosylate) and are controlled by the free volume and the mobility of the pendant cation. By comparison of the results at constant free volume, it is shown that the charge density decreases with the increasing length of pendant PEO demonstrating that PEO acts only as a plasticizing agent. Best conductivity results (σ = 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ at 60°C) are obtained with PEO side chains of molecular weight 350. With this sample, the conductivity in the presence of various amounts of added salt (LiTFSI) was studied. A best value of 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 60°C is obtained with a molar ratio EO/Li of 10. It is shown that, over the range of examined concentrations (0.2–1.3 mol Li kg⁻¹), the reduced conductivity σ_r/c increases linearly with increasing salt concentration showing that the ion mobility increases continuously. Such behavior is quite unusual since in this concentration range a maximum is generally observed with PEO systems. To interpret this result and by analogy with the behavior of this type of polymer in solution, it is proposed that the conformation of these polymers in the solid state is segregated with the P4VP skeleton more or less confined inside the dense coils surrounded by the PEO side chains. Under the influence of the increasing salt concentration, this microphase separation vanishes progressively: The LiTFSI salt exchanges with the tosylate anions and acts as a miscibility improver agent. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2719–2728, 1997     

Investigation of the multiple melting behaviour of a PTT by DSC and polarized light optical microscopy

The multiple melting behaviour of isothermally crystallized bulk poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) observed using DSC has been correlated to the total depolarized light intensity (DLI) of thin films using hot-stage polarized light optical microscopy. The observation of partial melting, recrystallization and final melting in the DSC is correlated to the observation of the partial decrease, sudden increase and final decrease in DLI under the same heating conditions. Integration of real-time visible spectra of the transmitted light was used to separate the effects of retardation from pure birefringence of the colorful spherulitic thin-film PTT samples. The correlation of the results from these two methods has demonstrated clearly that the observed DSC multiple melting behaviour of this particular polymer is the illustrated effect of a process of continuous partial melting/recrystallization/final melting in the material during thermal analysis. The observed thermal behaviour of these metastable spherulitic materials is a complex function of their thermal history including crystallization temperature and anneal conditions, including scanning rate during thermal analysis.     

A new composite polymer electrolyte based on poly(ethyleneoxide)/ polysiloxane/BMImTFSI/organomontmorillonite

Composite polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide)-polysiloxane/l-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide/organomontmorillonite(PEO-PDMS/1L/OMMT) were prepared and characterized.Addition of both an ionic liquid and OMMT to the polymer base of PEO-PDMS resulted in an increase in ionic conductivity.At room temperature,the ionic conductivity of sample PPB100-OMMT4 was 2.19×10~3 S/cm.The composite polymer electrolyte also exhibited high thermal and electrochemical stability and may potentially be applied in lithium batteries.     

AFM study of morphological development during the melt-crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide)

The atomic force microscope (AFM) has been used to investigate morphological development during the crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) from the melt. PEOs with molecular weights of 1 × 10⁵ and 7 × 10⁶ were used. Height and amplitude images were recorded, using the tapping mode. For both polymers, the mode of spherulite development varied with the velocity of the growth front. For slow growth velocities, the growth of the crystallites was linear, with growth initially occurring by single lamellae, later developing into growth arms by screw dislocation spawning of crystallites. At intermediate growth velocities, stacks of lamellae develop rapidly. The splaying apart of adjacent crystals and growth arms is abundant. The operation of growth spirals was observed directly in this growth velocity range. The crystals formed by the giant screw dislocations diverge immediately from the original growth direction, providing a source of interlamellar splaying. At low and intermediate velocities, the front propagates by the advance of primary growth arms, with the regions between the arms filled in by arms growing behind the primary front. At the highest velocity observed here, the formation of lamellar bundles and immediate splaying results in recognizable spherulites developing at the earliest stages of crystallization. The change from linear growth to splaying and nonlinear growth are qualitatively explained in terms of driving force, elastic resistance and the presence of compositional and/or elastic fields in the melt. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. B Polym. Phys. 36: 2311–2325, 1998     

Effect of poly(butylene succinate) crystals on spherulitic growth of poly(ethylene oxide) in binary blends of the two substances

The effects of the lamellar growth direction, extinction rings, and spherulitic boundaries of poly(butylene succinate) (PBSU) on the spherulitic growth of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were investigated in miscible blends of the two crystalline polymers. In the crystallization process from a homogeneous melt, PBSU first developed volume‐filling spherulites, and then PEO spherulites nucleated and grew inside the PBSU spherulites. The lamellar growth direction of PEO was identical with that of PBSU even when the PBSU content was about 5 wt %. PEO, which intrinsically does not exhibit banded spherulites, showed apparent extinction rings inside the banded spherulites of PBSU. The growth rate of a PEO spherulite, G_PEO, was influenced not only by the blend composition and the crystallization temperature of PEO, but also by the growth direction with respect to PBSU lamellae, the boundaries of PBSU spherulites, and the crystallization temperature of PBSU, T_PBSU. The value of G_PEO first increased with decreasing T_PBSU when a PEO spherulite grew inside a single PBSU spherulite. Then, G_PEO decreased when T_PBSU was further decreased and a PEO spherulite grew through many tiny PBSU spherulites. This behavior was discussed based on the aforementioned factors affecting G_PEO. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 539–547, 2009     

Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3基固体复合电解质的制备及锂离子导电行为

将聚氧化乙烯(PEO)和二(三氟甲基磺酰)亚胺锂(LiTFSI)混合(固定EO/Li摩尔比为13)后, 采用溶液浇注法制备了一系列不同Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)₃(LAGP)与PEO质量比的LAGP-PEO(LiTFSI)固体复合电解质体系. 结合电化学阻抗法、 表面形貌表征以及与惰性陶瓷填料(SiO₂, Al₂O₃) 性能的对比分析, 探讨了LAGP在固体复合电解质中的作用机理以及锂离子的导电行为. 结果表明, 在以LAGP为主相的固体复合电解质中, PEO主要处于无定形态, 整个体系主要为PEO与LiTFSI的络合相、 LAGP与PEO(LiTFSI)相互作用形成的过渡相和LAGP晶相. 其中LAGP作为主要的导电基体不仅起到降低PEO结晶度、 改善两相导电界面的作用; 同时自身也可以作为离子传输的通道, 降低锂离子迁移的活化能, 从而使离子电导率得到提高. 当LAGP与PEO的质量比为6:4时, 固体复合电解质的成膜性能最好, 离子电导率最高, 在30 ℃时为2.57×10^-5 S/cm, 接近LAGP的水平, 电化学稳定窗口超过5 V.     

Observations of crystallization and melting in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends by hot-stage atomic-force microscopy

The binary blend of poly(ethylene oxide)/atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) is examined using hot-stage atomic-force microscopy (AFM) in conjunction with differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. It was found possible to follow in real time the melting process, which reveals itself to be nonuniform. This effect is ascribed to the presence of lamellae having different thicknesses. The crystallization process of poly(ethylene oxide) from the miscible melt is also followed in real time by AFM, affording detailed images of the impingement of adjacent spherulites and direct observation of lamellar growth and subsequent polymer solidification in the interlamellar space.© 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. B Polym. Phys. 36: 2643–2651, 1998     

Brønsted acid-base polymer electrolyte membrane based on sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) and imidazole

The Brønsted acid-base polymer electrolyte membrane was prepared by entrapping imidazole in sulfonated poly(phenylene oxide) at the molar ratio of Im/SPPO = 2:1. The hybrid showed a high thermal stability up to 200 °C and peroxide tolerance. Differential scanning calorimetry shows that glass transition temperature is 232 °C. The conductivity increases with temperature exceeding 10⁻³ S/cm above 120 °C and a high conductivity of 6.9 × 10⁻³ S/cm was obtained at 200 °C under 33% RH conditions.     

Poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (semi-)interpenetrating polymer networks: Synthesis and phase diagrams

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by simultaneous network formation. The PEO network was produced by acid-catlayzed self-condensation of α,ω-bis(triethoxysilane)-terminated PEO in the presence of small amounts of water. The PMMA network was formed by free radical polymerization of MAA in the presence of divinylbenzene as crosslinker. The reaction conditions were adjusted to obtain similar crosslinking kinetics for both reactions. An attempt was made to construct a phase diagram of the IPNs by measuring the composition of the IPNs at the moment of the appearance of the phase separation, as indicated by the onset of turbidity. This composition could be determined because the siloxane crosslinks of the PEO network could be hydrolyzed in aqueous NaOH with the formation of linear, soluble PEO chains. The phase diagram was compared with phase diagrams of blends of linear polymers and of semi-IPNs (crosslinked PMMA and linear PEO), obtained under similar conditions, i.e. polymerization of MMA in the presence of varying amounts of PEO. It was observed that the form of the phase diagrams of the linear polymers is similar to that of the IPNs, but is quite different from that of the semi-IPNs. Thus, homogeneous transparent materials containing up to 60% of PEO could be prepared in the blends and the IPNs, but in the semi-IPNs, phase separation occurred with PEO contents as low as 10%.     

Controlled sulfonation of poly(arylene ether sulfone)s and poly(arylene ether ketone)s with different molecular structures for polymer electrolyte membranes

Poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers derived from 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene, bisphenol S and 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone and poly(arylene ether ketone) copolymers derived from 4-phenoxybiphenyl, diphenyl ether and isophthaloyl chloride were prepared as precursor polymers for sulfonation reaction in which sulfonic groups are introduced quantitatively into specified positions. Sulfonation reaction for these two series of copolymers by concentrated sulfuric acid was successfully carried out to give sulfonated polymers with controlled positions and degree of sulfonation. Thermal stability, moisture absorption and proton conductivity for these two series of copolymers were measured and the results were compared to those of perfluorosulfonic acid polymers.     

Poly(N-phenyl-2-hydroxytrimethylene amine): Its blends with poly(ϵ-caprolactone) and water-soluble polyethers

A new polymer with pendant hydroxyl groups, namely, poly(N-phenyl-2-hydroxytrime-thylene amine) (PHA), was synthesized by a direct condensation polymerization of aniline and epichlorohydrin in an alkaline medium. The new polymer is amorphous with a glass transition temperature (T_g) of 70°C. Blends of PHA with poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL), as well as with two water-soluble polyethers, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME), were prepared by casting from a common solvent. It was found that all the three blends were miscible and showed a single, composition dependent glass transition temperature (T_g). FTIR studies revealed that PHA can form hydrogen bonds with PCL, PEO, and PVME, which are driving forces for the miscibility of the blends. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization and morphology of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) blends. I. Spherulitic morphology and growth by polarized microscopy

The development of the poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) morphology in the presence of already existent poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) spherulites was studied by two‐stage solidification with two separate crystallization temperatures. PVDF formed irregular dendrites at lower temperatures and regular, banded spherulites at elevated temperatures. The transition temperature of the spherulitic morphology from dendrites to regular, banded spherulites increased with increasing PVDF content. A remarkable amount of PHB was included in the PVDF dendrites, whereas PHB was rejected into the remaining melt from the banded spherulites. When PVDF crystallized as banded spherulites, PHB could consequently crystallize only around them, if at all. In contrast, PHB crystallized with a common growth front, starting from a defined site in the interfibrillar regions of volume‐filling PVDF dendrites. It formed by itself dendritic spherulites that included a large number of PVDF spherulites. For blends with a PHB content of more than 80 wt %, for which the PVDF dendrites were not volume‐filling, PHB first formed regular spherulites. Their growth started from outside the PVDF dendrites but could later interpenetrate them, and this made their own morphology dendritic. These PHB spherulites melted stepwise because the lamellae inside the PVDF dendrites melted at a lower temperature than those from outside. This reflected the regularity of the two fractions of the lamellae because that of those inside the dendrites of PVDF was controlled by the intraspherulitic order of PVDF, whereas that from outside was only controlled by the temperature and the melt composition. The described morphologies developed without mutual nucleating efficiency of the components. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 873–882, 2003     

Ionic transport studies on (PEO)6:NaPO3 polymer electrolyte plasticized with PEG400

Conduction characteristics of the poly(ethylene oxide) based new polymer electrolyte (PEO)₆:NaPO₃, plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol) are investigated. Free standing flexible electrolyte films of composition (PEO)₆:NaPO₃ + x wt.% PEG₄₀₀ (30 ? x ? 70) are prepared by solution casting method. A combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies have indicated enhancement in the amorphous phase of polymer due to the addition of plasticizer. Further, a reduction in the glass transition temperature observed from the DSC result has inferred increase in the flexibility of the polymer chains. The cationic transport number (t_Na⁺) of 0.42 determined through combined ac-dc technique has confirmed ionic nature of conducting species. Ionic conductivity studies are carried out as a function of composition and temperature using complex impedance spectroscopy. The electrolyte with maximum PEG₄₀₀ content has exhibited an enhancement in the conductivity of about two orders of magnitude compared to the host polymer electrolyte. The complex impedance data is analyzed in conductivity, permittivity and electric modulus formalism in order to throw light on transport mechanism. A solid state electrochemical cell based on the above polymer electrolyte with a configuration Na|SPE|(I₂ + acetylene black + PEO) has exhibited an open circuit voltage of 2.94 V. The discharge characteristics are found to be satisfactory as a laboratory cell.     

Preparation and characterization of a new polymer electrolyte (PEO:NaClO3) for battery application

A new sodium-ion conducting thin-film polymer electrolyte based on the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) system has been prepared by a solution-casting method. Characterization by XRD, IR, and AC conductivity and Wagner's polarization were carried out on these thin-film electrolytes. From the transference number experiment it was found that the charge transport in these electrolytes is mainly due to ions. Conductivity studies show that the conductivity value of the PEO:NaClO₃ complex increases with the increase of salt concentration. An increase in the conductivity and a change in the cell parameters for the electrolyte system were found by the addition of the low molecular weight dimethylformamide or propylene carbonate as plasticizers. The cell parameters of these electrolyte systems were measured from a discharge study of the cell with the application of a load of 100 kΩ at room temperature in the common cell configuration Na|electrolyte|MnO₂. The open circuit voltage ranges from 2.02 V to 2.46 V and the short circuit current ranges from 570 μA to 1030 μA. Electronic Publication     

Poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(2vinylpyridne)/lithium perchlorate blends as solid polymer electrolytes: Composition/property/structure interrelationship

Poly(ethylene oxide) (MW 600,000)/poly(2vinylpyridine) (MW 200,000)/LiClO₄ blends have been prepared by the solution blending process. The ionic conductivities of the blends containing lower weight fractions (15, 17.5, 20 and 22.5%) of poly (2vinylpyridine) initially increases as the salt content is increased, reaches a maximum at an ethylene oxide/Li⁺ mole ratio of 10 and decreases as the salt content is further increased. Blends, which have higher weight fractions of poly(2vinylpyridine) (25 and 35%) display different electric behavior, i.e., the ionic conductivity continously increased as the salt content is increased to an ethylene oxide/Li⁺ mole ratio of 2. Thermal, ⁷Li solidstate NMR and semiempirical MNDO molecular orbital studies indicate that this contrasting behavior may be explained by the structure and ratios of the solvates (mixed solvate or homosolvate) of LiClO₄ present in the blends. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization and structure formation in polymer blends with strong intermodular interactions: blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and styrene-hydroxystyrene copolymers

Time-resolved synchrotron wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments were used to investigate crystallization behavior and microstructure development of a nearly monodisperse poly(ethylene oxide) [PEO] (M_w = 53,500), and its melt-miscible blends with two fractionated styrene - hydroxystyrene random copolymers [SHS]. PEO crystallization rates decrease significantly in the presence of the melt-miscible SHS copolymers. All low and high molecular weight SHS blends exhibit a crystallization process at relatively short times characterized by large Avrami exponents (n), followed by a dominant process with n near that of neat PEO. A model for the crystallization of these blends is proposed.