Lithium-ion-conductive polyethylene oxide based polymer electrolytes containing tris(pentafluorophyenyl)borane

For enhancement of lithium-ion transference number, lithium-ion-conductive polymer electrolytes have been prepared from polyethylene oxide (PEO), lithium salt of LiCF₃SO₃ or LiF, plasticizer of polyethylene glycol dimethylether (PEGDME), and anion receptor of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (TPFB). Transport properties of the resultant polymer electrolytes have been studied by AC impedance spectroscopy. As a result, lithium-ion transference number increased with increasing TPFB due to the restriction of anion conduction by the interaction between anion and anion receptor. Effects of anion receptor on transport properties are discussed.     

Composite electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and binary ionic liquids for dye-sensitized solar cells

The sunlight is the largest single available source of clean and renewable energy to ensure human society’s sustainable development. Owing to their low production cost and high energy conversion efficiency, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been regarded as good alternatives to conventional photovoltaic devices. Herein, a series of composite electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the binary ionic liquids 1-propyl-3-methy-imidazolium iodide ([PMIm]I) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([EMIm][SCN]) were prepared and then applied to fabricate six DSSCs. The composite electrolytes were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). It was shown that the addition of binary ionic liquids would reduce the degree of crystallinity of PEO, thus improving the ionic conductivities of the electrolytes by about 2 orders of magnitude. Investigation on the photovoltaic performances of these DSSCs showed that the fill factor (FF) could reach up to 0.67 and energy conversion efficiency (η) could reach up to 4.04% under AM 1.5 full sunlight (100 mW/cm2).     

Synthesis and electrochemistry of polymer based electrolytes for lithium batteries

An overview is presented on the development of improved polymer based electrolytes during the past years. The emphasis lies on new approaches regarding chemical concepts that achieve a higher total conductivity and lithium transference number as well as an increased electrochemical, mechanical and thermal stability. With respect to the polymer chemistry, the focus is laid on siloxane and phosphazene derived systems. Topics are the chemical modification of the polymeric, cyclic and low molecular derivates of these systems, the formation of stable membranes from these by suitable cross-linking strategies and an extensive electrochemical characterization in corresponding lithium cells. Recent trends towards composite and hybrid materials are illustrated with examples and newly developed hybrid electrolytes. A particular chance for improvements comes from the design and use of stable small molecular additives in combination with optimized and electrochemically stable polymer networks. Special compounds are introduced which may act themselves as novel solvents with increased electrochemical stabilities. The relevance of chosen lithium salts for polymer electrolytes is discussed, too, and a new family of pyrazolide anions is introduced. In all cases, the electrochemical performance has been characterized by standard experimental techniques.     

Characterization of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) electrolytes complexed with different lithium salts

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) gel electrolytes comprising a combination of plasticizers, ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) and lithium salt LiX have been prepared using the solution casting technique in an argon atmosphere. The prepared electrolytes were subjected to ionic conductivity, compatibility with lithium metal anode and thermogravimetric (TG)/differential thermal analysis (DTA). The membranes, which possess lithium salt, LiBF₄ exhibited maximum conductivity and on contrary it undergoes severe passivation with lithium metal. All these membranes are found to be stable thermally about 70 °C.     

Syntheses of a wide family of new aryl based perfluorosulfonimide lithium salts. Electrochemical performances of the related polymer electrolytes

This paper reports both on a general multistep synthesis of a wide family of aryl substituted perfluorosulfonimides and on a preliminary electrochemical investigation of two lithium salts hosted by a poly(oxyethylene) homopolymer. Both salts have a cationic transference number more than twice that of LiTFSI. Additionally, one of these salts exhibits markedly higher cationic conductivities than POE/LiTFSI electrolytes. These preliminary data are very encouraging as, thanks to the aryl moiety, a wide variety of salts can be considered in order to still improve the performances of polymer electrolytes.     

Blends of poly(carbonate) with poly(styrene) and poly(methylmethacrylate): phase morphology,mechanical, and thermal properties

This paper is concerned with the dependence of mechanical and thermal properties of heterogeneous blends of poly(carbonate) (PC) with poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) and with poly(styrene) (PS) on the concentration of the components. PS displays a very weak phase coupling in blends with PC, whereas PMMA is characterized by a strong coupling to PC. Experimental results as well as predictions based on composite theories are reported. The general finding is that mechanical properties, such as the tensile modulus and the dynamic shear modulus, as well as thermal properties, such as thermal expansion, are (i) only weakly affected by the occurrence of a phase inversion and of a continuous phase morphology, (ii) vary continuously with the concentration of the components, and (iii) are rather insensitive to the strength of the phase coupling. The theoretical predictions on the concentration—property relationship for these properties, based on a self-consistent approach, agree very well with those observed experimentally. The elongation at break as well as the yield stress, on the other hand, are strongly influenced by the nature of the phase coupling: a discontinuous variation of these properties with the composition is observed for PS/PC blends but not for PMMA/PC blends. The general conclusion is that a set of mechanical and thermal properties of heterogeneous blends can satisfactorily be predicted on the basis of rather simple composite theories.     

Novel evaluation method for degradation rate of polymer electrolytes in fuel cells

A simple and new method has been developed to evaluate the degradation rate of polymer electrolytes caused by the cross-leakage of H₂ or O₂ in PEFCs. Mixed gas of H₂ and air with a constant composition was supplied to a sample powder suspended in water, e.g., consisting of Pt supporting carbon black coated with a perfluorosulfonated acid electrolyte. Fluoride ion released from the electrolyte into the water was quantitatively analyzed as a function of time. The electrolyte was decomposed only when H₂, O₂, and Pt coexisted. The present method enables to compare the durability of different electrolyte polymers directly under the same controlled environment within a short period.     

Studies on ionics conduction properties of modification CMC-PVA based polymer blend electrolytes via impedance approach

In this study, the modification of cellulose derivative namely carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and doped with different content of NH₄Br based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) prepared via solution casting method is investigated. The FTIR analysis demonstrated the interaction between CMC-PVA and NH₄Br via COO⁻. The optimum ionic conductivity at ambient temperature is found to be 3.21 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm for the sample containing 20 wt% NH₄Br with the lowest percentage of crystallinity and total weight loss. The conductivity-temperature relationship for the entire SPEs system obeys Arrhenius behaviour. Besides that, based on the Nyquist fitting analysis, it is shown that the ionic conductivity of the SPEs is primarily influenced by the ionic mobility as well as the ions diffusion coefficient. The H⁺ transference number obtained using non-blocking reversible electrode is 0.31, which further indicates that the conduction species is predominantly due to the cationic conduction.     

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) based composite electrolytes for lithium batteries

The composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) membranes, comprising of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP), aluminum oxyhydroxide, (AlO[OH]_n) of two different particle sizes 7 μm/14 nm and LiN(CF₃SO₂)₂ as lithium salt were prepared using solution casting technique. The prepared membranes were subjected to XRD, impedance spectroscopy, compatibility and transport number studies. The incorporation of nanofiller greatly enhanced the ionic conductivity and the compatibility of the composite polymer electrolyte. Also LiCr_0.01Mn_1.99O₄/CPE/Li cells were assembled and their charge-discharge profiles have been made at 70 °C. The film which possesses nanosized filler offered better electrochemical properties than those with micron sized filler. The results are discussed based on Lewis acid-base theory.     

Preparation and characterization of pva based solid polymer electrolytes for electrochemical cell applications

Solid polymer electrolyte films containing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and magnesium nitrate (Mg(NO3)2) were prepared by solution casting technique and characterized by using XRD, FTIR, DSC and AC impedance spectroscopic analysis. The amorphous nature of the polymer electrolyte films has been confirmed by XRD. The complex formation between PVA and Mg salt has been confirmed by FTIR. The glass transition temperature decreases with increasing the Mg salt concentration. The AC impedance studies are performed to evaluate the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte films in the range of 303 383 K, and the temperature dependence seems to obey the Arrhenius behavior. Transport number measurements show that the charge transport is mainly due to ions. Electrochemical cell of configuration Mg/(PVA + Mg(NO3)2) (70:30)/(I2 + C + electrolyte) has been fabricated. The discharge characteristics of the cell were studied for a constant load of 100 kΩ.     

Structural and transport characteristics of polyethylene oxide/phenolic resin blend solid polymer electrolytes

Details on the structure and transport characteristics of the solid polymer electrolyte polyethylene oxide (PEO)/lithium salt (LiClO₄) modified by novolac phenolic resin are presented here. From IR spectra it could be concluded that complex formation occurred through multiple interactions between the ether oxygen of PEO–lithium, phenolic lithium, and the phenolic ether oxygen of PEO. The free hydroxyl band in phenolic reflected that phenolic closely interacted with both the PEO polymer and ionic salt. With increasing salt content in PEO, the vibration band corresponding to the ClO anion (～623 cm^?1) displayed growth of a shoulder at ～635 cm^?1, suggesting the formation of Li⁺…ClO₄^? ion pairing. However, in the presence of phenolic, ion‐pairing formation was effectively suppressed, which suggested that the phenolic moiety facilitated a greater degree of LiClO₄ salt dissociation. Activation energy analysis revealed two conducting pathways: one through the amorphous PEO and the other through the PEO/phenolic amorphous matrix. The high ion conductivity originated from effective salt dissociation and the establishment of a new conduction network formed by PEO and phenolic. Furthermore, the structural modification also extended the thermal stability and mechanical strength of the solid polymer electrolyte composite. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3866–3875, 2004     

含锂沸石Li-FER提高PEO复合聚合物电解质电导率

通过离子交换方法使锂部分取代了镁碱沸石（FER）孔道壁上羟基中的氢，制得含锂沸石Li-FER. 将这种沸石作为无机填料加入到PEO/LiClO₄聚合物电解质中，可以使其室温电导率提高三个数量级以上. 电化学测量表明， 锂离子与PEO和含锂沸石中氧的相互作用提高了聚合物电解质中锂离子的迁移数. 另一方面， 采用XRD, DSC, PLM等方法研究了电解质的结晶状况.结果表明, Li-FER可以作为PEO链段结晶的成核剂，使PEO电解质的晶粒得到细化， 结晶度降低，为Li⁺的传输提供了更多的非晶区通道. 这是Li-FER的加入促使PEO聚合物电解质电导率提高的两个主要原因.     

Compositional effect of PVdF-PEMA blend gel polymer electrolytes for lithium polymer batteries

Owing to their improved mechanical properties and good polymer miscibility, the blend gel polymer electrolytes of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF)-poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) have been prepared using solvent casting technique and characterized for their electrochemical performances. The electrolyte shows a maximum ionic conductivity of 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 301 K for the 90:10 blend ratio of PVdF:PEMA system with good transport property. The ionic conductivity is enhanced, in accompany with improved microstructural homogeneity, at low PEMA contents, while the decreased conductivity at high contents has been attributed to increasing crystalline PEMA domains. With the optimum PVdF:PEMA ratio, the complex system was found to facile reasonable ionic transference number and exhibit superior interfacial stability with Li electrode.     

Investigations on poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly(ethylene oxide) hybrid polymer electrolytes with dioctyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate as plasticizers

Plasticizers can be used to change the mechanical and electrical properties of polymer electrolytes by reducing the degree of crystallinity and lowering the glass transition temperature. The transport properties of gel-type ionic conducting membranes consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), LiClO₄ and dioctyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate or dimethyl phthalate (DMP) are studied. The polymer films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and impedance spectroscopic studies. It is found that the addition of DMP as the plasticizer in the PEO-PMMA-LiClO₄ polymer complex favours an enhancement in ionic conductivity. The maximum conductivity value obtained for the solid polymer electrolyte film at 305 K is 3.529×10^{– 4} S cm^–1. Electronic Publication     

Polymer electrolyte for lithium batteries based on photochemically crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) and ionic liquid

Polymer/ionic liquid composites were investigated as solvent-free electrolytes for lithium batteries. Ternary electrolytes based upon poly(ethylene oxide), an ionic liquid and a conducting salt were UV crosslinked with benzophenone as the photoinitiator. Crosslinking leads to an increase in mechanical stability of the PEO composites. This straight-forward process provides a way to increase the content of ionic liquid and thus to raise ionic conductivity without loss of mechanical stability. Impedance measurements showed that the ionic conductivity of the composites is not affected by the UV curing process. Moreover, the UV curing process causes a decrease in the degree of crystallinity in the PEO composites which contributes to an increase in ionic conductivity. The present work is related to safety issues of lithium batteries.     

Potential switching of optical properties in polymer electrolytes

The electric field dependence of the optical properties of a series of anion-conducting polymer electrolytes at an ITO–electrolyte interface was investigated. A change in reflectance and refractive index of polymer electrolytes [poly(ethyl methacrylate)]₁₈(Bu₃SnX)₃Bu₄NX where X = Cl, Br, and SCN was observed. This was ascribed to anion accumulation/depletion in the interfacial region. Shorter response times were observed for electrolytes with higher conductivities, illustrating the interrelationship between these two phenomena. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 2057–2062, 1997     

Effect of thermal cycling and open-hole size on mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites

This paper investigates the effects of thermal cycling on mechanical degradation of polymer matrix composites (PMCs). Un-notched and open-hole specimens are tested using developed thermal cycling apparatus and tensile test machine. In addition, the hole-size effect of open-hole tension glass/epoxy composite laminates is investigated. The tensile strength, mass loss and surface degradation of the specimens were obtained during 250 cycles. Experimental results showed that the holes diameter is the main parameter to control the thermal cycling effects on open hole structure. Also, it is found that laminates with smaller holes have higher tensile strength variation than those with larger holes. The results showed that increment of the hole diameter and number of cycles decreases the tensile strength.     

Synthesis and properties of all solid polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinyl acetate‐co‐acetyl ethylene oxide acrylate)

Poly(acetyl ethylene oxide acrylate‐co‐vinyl acetate) (P(AEOA‐VAc)) was synthesized and used as a host for lithium perchlorate to prepare an all solid polymer electrolyte. Introduction of carbonyl groups into the copolymer increased ionic conductivity. All solid polymer electrolytes based on P(AEOA‐VAc) at 14.3 wt% VAc with 12wt% LiClO₄ showed conductivity as high as 1.2 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at room temperature. The temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity followed the VTF behavior, indicating that the ion transport was related to segmental movement of the polymer. FTIR was used to investigate the effect of the carbonyl group on ionic conductivity. The interaction between the lithium salt and carbonyl groups accelerated the dissociation of the lithium salt and thus resulted in a maximum ionic conductivity at a salt concentration higher than pure PAEO‐salts system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

All solid polymer electrolytes based on polar side group rotation for rechargeable lithium batteries

A novel polymer matrix with a polar carbonyl group was designed and used to prepare an all‐solid polymer electrolyte in lithium rechargeable batteries. The ionic conductivity of this type of polymer electrolyte was examined. The relationship between the lithium salt concentration and ionic conductivity was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The carbonyl groups in the polymer matrix effectively interacted with the lithium salt, which improved the ionic conductivity at a large range of temperatures. The ionic conductivity of this type of polymer electrolyte was approximately 10^?4 S cm^?1 at room temperature. The stability of the interface between electrode and electrolyte was evaluated by measuring the alternating current (AC) impedance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of structures of PEO‐MgCl2 based solid polymer electrolytes

The crystallinity of polyelectrolytes has long been known to affect their ionic conductivity, but the effects of water of hydration on polyelectrolyte structure are not commonly studied. Here, polymer complexes consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with magnesium chloride (anhydrous MgCl₂, MgCl₂·4H₂O, and MgCl₂·6H₂O, respectively) have been prepared by a mixed‐solvent method. Fourier transform‐infrared measurements indicate each magnesium chloride salt can coordinate with PEO to form a complex. The structures of (PEO)_xMgCl₂·4H₂O and (PEO)_xMgCl₂·6H₂O complexes are similar, whilst the structure of (PEO)_xMgCl₂ complex is different to both. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction studies indicate in each polymer complex system the crystallization of PEO is depressed by the interaction of magnesium cation with the ether oxygen of PEO. PEO in (PEO)_xMgCl₂ and (PEO)_xMgCl₂·4H₂O are shown to be amorphous, but in (PEO)_xMgCl₂·6H₂O it is crystalline. Polar optical microscopy images indicate in each PEO/magnesium chloride system the crystalline morphology clearly changes with the increase of magnesium salt content. The reason for the formation of the spherulites with special morphology are the strong interaction between magnesium cation and ether oxygen of PEO, and the different evaporation rates of ethanol and chloroform in mixed solvent. A better understanding of the effects of hydration on polyelectrolyte crystallinity can help in improving their use in a variety of applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1162–1174