Studies on biodegradable polymer electrolyte rice starch (RS) complexed with lithium iodide

Biodegradable and natural rice starch (RS) polymer with lithium iodide salt (LiI) was used to prepare polymer electrolytes using solution cast technique. Polymer electrolyte films were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TGA and DSC thermograms demonstrate that decomposition temperature (T_dc) and glass transition temperature (T_g) for rice starch shift upon complexation with lithium iodide salt. Thermolysis studies using TGA show decomposition temperature decreases with the addition of lithium iodide salt. XRD patterns show increase in amorphous behavior with doping of lithium iodide salt. The morphology studies were observed using SEM in terms of smoothness and miscibility.