Enhancement of Li+ ion conductivity in solid polymer electrolytes using surface tailored porous silica nanofillers

The current study represents the design and synthesis of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes by solvent casting approach using surface tailored porous silica as nanofillers. The surface tailoring of porous silica nanostructure is achieved through silanization chemistry using 3-glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane in which silane part get anchored to the silica surface whereas epoxy group get stellated from the silica surface. Surface tailoring of silica with epoxy group increases the room temperature electrochemical performances of the resulting polymer electrolytes. Ammonical hydrolysis of organosilicate precursor is used for both silica preparation and their surface tailoring. The composite solid polymer electrolyte films are prepared by solution mixing of PEO with lithium salt in presence of silica nanofillers and cast into film by solvent drying, which are then characterized by impedance measurement for conductivity study and wide angle x-ray diffraction for change in polymer crystallinity. Room temperature impedance measurement reveals Li+ ion conductivity in the order of 10(-4) S cm(-1), which is correlated to the decrease in PEO crystallinity. The enhancement of conductivity is further observed to be dependent on the amount of silica as well as on their surface characteristics.