Grafted natural rubber-based polymer electrolytes: ATR-FTIR and conductivity studies

Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy measurement is employed to study the interactions between the components of 30% methyl-grafted natural rubber (MG30), lithium trifluromethanesulfonate (LiCF₃SO₃ or LiTF), and propylene carbonate (PC). Vibrational spectra data of LiTF reveals that the ν_s(SO₃) at 1,045 cm⁻¹, δ_s(CF₃) at 777 cm⁻¹, and C=O stretching mode at 1,728 cm⁻¹ for MG30 have shifted to lower wave numbers in MG30–LiTF complexes indicating that complexation has occurred between MG30 and LiTF. The solvation of lithium ion is manifested in Li⁺ ← O=C interaction as shown by the downshifting and upshifting of C=O mode at 1,788 to 1,775 cm⁻¹ and ν_as(SO₃) at 1,250 to 1258 cm⁻¹, respectively, in LiTF–PC electrolytes. There is no experimental evidence of the interaction between MG30 and PC. Competition between MG30 and PC on associating with lithium ion is studied, and the studies show that the interaction between MG30–LiTF is stronger than that of the PC–LiTF in plasticized polymer–salt complexes. The effect of PC on the ionic conductivity of the MG30–LiTF system is explained in terms of the polymer, plasticizer, and salt interactions. The temperature dependence of conductivity of the polymer films obeys the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher relation. Values of conductivity and activation energy of the MG30-based polymer electrolyte systems are presented and discussed.     

Electrochemical studies on polymer electrolytes based on poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted natural rubber for lithium polymer battery

MG30 is natural rubber grafted with 30% poly(methyl methacrylate). Gel polymer electrolytes containing MG30–LiCF₃SO₃–X (X = propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate) are prepared by solution casting technique. The polymer–salt complexes were investigated using Fourier-transformed infrared. The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes are determined by the ac impedance studies over the temperature range of 303–383 K and is observed to obey the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher (VTF) rule. The Li⁺ transference number obtained using the Bruce and Vincent method is <0.3. The Li/Li⁺ interface stability is established and the electrolytes were found to be able to withstand a voltage of more than 4.2 V.     

Structures of bis(N-n-butylsalicylideneiminato)cobalt(II) and bis(N-tert-butylsalicylideneiminato)cobalt(II) complexes and reactivity towards oxygen and nitric oxide

The cobalt(II)-Schiff base complexes [Co(nbsal)₂] and [Co(tbsal)₂] [nbsal=N-n-butylsalicylideneiminate and tbsal=N-tert-butysalicylideneiminate,o-OC₆H₄CH=NR,R+Buⁿ and Bu^t, respectively] both have distorted tetrahedral structures, but the presence of thetert-butyl groups in [Co(tbsal)₂] causes much greater angular distortion, of the coordination tetrahedron. Although [Co(nbsal)₂] will react with nitric oxide and oxygen, [Co(tbsal)₂] reacts with neither and this appears to be due to the shielding of the cobalt by thetert-vutyl groups. The reactive complex [Co(nbsal)₂] crystallizes in the tetragonal system,a+14.244,c+5.395, Å,Z+2 and space group $P\bar 4$ . The structure was determined by the heavy-atom method, using MoKα diffractometer data, and refined by full matrix least-squares toR+0.035 for 777 reflections. The unreactive complex [Co(tbsal)₂] crystallizes in the orthorhombic systemPbc2₁,a+10.977,b+20.037,c+9.866 Å,Z+4. The structure was determined as above toR+0.051 for 1458 reflections.