Nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide)/POSS-PEG (n=13.3) hybrid nanoparticles for lithium ion batteries

We successfully prepared the nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-polyethylene glycol (PUSS-PEG) complexed with LiN(SO2CF3)(2) (LiTFSI) salt and studied the effect of PUSS-PEG (n = 13.3) hybrid nanoparticles on structural, thermal, mechanical and ionic conductivity properties. The crystallinity of the nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). FTIR studies showed the evidence of the complexation between PEO, LiTFSI and PUSS-PEG. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study their glass transition and melting behaviors and to measure their respective degrees of crystallinity. The degree of crystallinity reduced with PUSS-PEG content, indicating restricted segmental motion of the polymer chains. The Young's modulus increased from 0.076 to 0.19 MPa with the addition of PUSS-PEG. Ionic conductivity studies reveal that solid polymer electrolyte with 30 wt% of PUSS-PEG has the highest ionic conductivity of 5.05 x 10(-5) S/cm at room temperature (23 degrees C). The temperature dependence conductivity studies showed that the samples seemed to obey the Arrhenius behavior. (C) 2015 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.