Coupled ion and network dynamics in polymer electrolytes: Monte Carlo study of a lattice model

Monte Carlo simulations are used to study ion and polymer chain dynamic properties in a simplified lattice model with only one species of mobile ions. The ions interact attractively with specific beads in the host chains, while polymer beads repel each other. Cross linking of chains by the ions reduces chain mobilities which in turn suppresses ionic diffusion. Diffusion constants for ions and chains as a function of temperature follow the Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) law with a common VTF temperature at low ion concentration, but both decouple at higher concentrations, in agreement with experimental observations. Our model allows us to introduce pressure as an independent variable through calculations of the equation of state using the quasichemical approximation, and to detect an exponential pressure dependence of the ionic diffusion.