Characterization of starch-chitosan blend-based electrolyte doped with ammonium iodide for application in proton batteries

This paper reports on the characterization and application in proton batteries of corn starch-chitosan blend biopolymer electrolyte doped with NH₄I as a proton provider. In this work, all electrolyte films are prepared by the solution cast method. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reveals that the plasticized electrolyte is stable up to 180 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study shows that T _g values decrease with the addition of salt and plasticizer. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analyses verify the conductivity results from a previous work. The cation transference number for the highest conducting electrolyte was 0.40. The highest conducting electrolyte has been used in fabrication of primary and secondary proton batteries.