Conductivity, FTIR studies, and thermal behavior of PMMA-based proton conducting polymer gel electrolytes containing triflic acid

The addition of polymer to liquid electrolytes containing trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (HCF₃SO₃) in propylene carbonate (PC) has been found to result in an increase in conductivity of gel electrolytes. The increase in conductivity has been observed to be due to the dissociation of ion aggregates present in the electrolytes which has also been supported by Fourier transform infrared studies. The maximum ionic conductivity (at 25 °C) of 7.55?×?10^?3 S/cm has been observed for polymer gel electrolytes containing 1.5 wt% polymethylmethacrylate in 0.5 M solution of HCF₃SO₃ in PC. Polymer gel electrolytes have been found to be thermally stable up to a temperature of 125 °C by simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetric analysis studies. The conductivity of polymer gel electrolytes does not show any appreciable change over a limited period of time.