Vibrational spectroscopic and electrochemical characteristics of poly (propylene glycol)-silver triflate polymer electrolyte system

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and electrochemical complex impedance studies have been carried out on a series of complexes containing poly(propylene glycol) of molecular weight 4,000 and silver triflate (AgCF₃SO₃) salt corresponding to the ether oxygen to metal cation ratios (O : M) in the range 16:1 to 12:1. The formation of ion pairs and aggregates noticed in the case of specimens having high salt concentrations as well as the complete coordination of the cation with the ether oxygen at low salt concentrations within the PPG4000-AgCF₃SO₃ polymer electrolyte system have been confirmed. The appearance of two weak triflate bands at 1,032 and 1,272 cm⁻¹ in the absorption spectra in respect of low salt concentrations is indicative of the fact that triflate ions are free within the polymer matrix. The room temperature (298 K) electrical conductivity is found to increase with increasing ether oxygen content while exhibiting the maximum value of 7.1 × 10⁻⁵ Scm⁻¹ possibly due to silver ionic transport in the case of the typical composition having an O : M ratio of 16:1.