%0 Journal Article
%T Effect of Plasticizers on Structural and Dielectric Behaviour of [PEO + (NH4)2C4H8(COO)2] Polymer Electrolyte
%A Kamlesh Pandey
%A Nidhi Asthana
%A Mrigank Mauli Dwivedi
%A S. K. Chaturvedi
%J Journal of Polymers
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/752596
%X Improvements in ion transport property of polyethylene-oxide- (PEO-) based polymer electrolytes have been investigated, using different types of plasticizers. The effects of single and coupled plasticizers [i.e., EC, (EC + PC), and (EC + PEG)] on structural and electrical behavior of pristine electrolyte were studied by XRD, SEM technique, and impedance spectroscopy. The electrical conductivity of the best plasticized system was found to be 4£¿¡Á£¿10£¿6£¿S/cm. Argand plots show dispersive nature of relaxation time or inhomogeneous space charge polarization of plasticized polymer electrolyte. 1. Introduction Recently, plasticized polymer electrolytes have been extensively used in the electrochemical devices, like secondary batteries, fuel cells, sensors, and smart windows. In order to improve their electrical and electrochemical properties for technical and industrial application, structural modification through plasticized polymer electrolytes is extensively used. Various techniques (like plasticization, copolymerization, etc.) have been adopted to achieve the desired objective of high ionic conduction and better stability of polymer composite electrolytes [1¨C3]. Large number of host polymer [e.g., polyethylene oxide (PEO), polymethylene methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene oxide (PPO), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl formal (PVF), etc.] [4¨C6] with different alkali and alkaline salts have been investigated in the past four decades. Among these polymers, PEO is the most studied polymeric system. The electrical conductivity of PEO is found relatively low at ambient temperature in comparison to the existing conventional liquid/hybrid electrolytes. The ionic conductivity of polymer electrolyte mainly depends upon (i) crystallinity of the material (ii) simultaneous cation and anion motion, and (iii) the ion-pair formation (anion complex-cation interaction). To overcome these problems, various approaches have been made to modify the structure of polymer electrolyte in the last three decades. Ammonium adipate (NH4)2C4H8(COO)2 contains smaller size cation (H+) with larger size anion which can easily dissociate and provide higher protonic conduction [7]. The addition of plasticizers in polymer electrolyte is one of the most effective approaches to improve the mobility of ionic or/and the interfacial interaction among ionic and polar groups in polymer chains. The choice of plasticizer and its concentration can affect film permeability and mechanical properties [8, 9]. The other advantage of plasticization is to modify the polymeric matrix and provide the enhanced
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpol/2013/752596/