Study of the Effect of Poly (Ethylene Carbonate) Concentration on the Ionic Transport of PLA- LiCF3SO3 Based Polymer Electrolyte

• Published in: Malaysian Journal of Chemistry
• Main Author: Lothfy F.A.; Rafaie H.A.; Abidin S.Z.Z.; Ali A.M.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Institute of Chemistry 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85209872998&doi=10.55373%2fmjchem.v26i5.327&partnerID=40&md5=51cd35a5ef5123b73b9e87c5bc83ce59

Polymer electrolytes with high ionic conductivity are presently of considerable interest due to their potential use as electrolytes in electrochemical devices. However, the development and real-world applications of polymer electrolytes are restricted by their weak ionic conductivity at ambient temperature. The ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes was enhanced by the addition of plasticizers at the appropriate concentrations. Therefore, the objective of this investigation is to optimize the ionic conductivity of the polymer-based electrolyte by incorporating varying weight percentages of polypropylene carbonate (PC) into the PLA - LiCF3SO3-based electrolyte. The PLA-LiCF3SO3 exhibits a maximal ionic conductivity of 9.05 x 10-3 Scm-1 at ambient temperature, which is approximately 25 wt. % PC (PC-25). PC-25 has a diffusion coefficient (D) of 6.06 x 1020 cm-3, a number density of 2.44 x 10-6 cm2.s-1, and an ionic mobility of 9.33 x 10-5 cm2V-1s. The ionic transport system is influenced by the structural features of the polymer host, as evidenced by the maximum amorphousness degree of the PC-25 found through X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The results suggest that the PC-25 system, which is comprised of PLA-LiCF3SO3 with a 25 wt.% PC, has the potential to be a viable option for use as an electrolyte in energy storage devices. © 2024 Malaysian Institute of Chemistry. All rights reserved.