Structural and Electrical Properties of Carboxy Methylcellulose-Dodecyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide-Based Biopolymer Electrolytes System

Biopolymer electrolyte films based on carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) complexed with dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) salt with compositions between 5 and 40 wt.% have been prepared using the solution cast method as a possible proton-conducting polymer electrolyte system. The polymer-salt complex formation and the polymer-proton interactions have been analyzed. Electrical properties have been measured as a function of composition and temperature using complex impedance spectroscopy and exhibited the highest room temperature conductivity of 10(-4) Scm(-1). A small polaron hopping (SPH) model has been found to be most appropriate for fitting the experimental conductivity data.