Solid polymer electrolyte production from 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose: Effect of ammonium nitrate composition on its...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are crucial for advanced energy storage devices.
• Enhancing ionic conductivity in SPEs is a key challenge for their practical application.
• Doping SPEs with specific salts can improve their ion transport properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize a novel SPE based on 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (2-HEC).
• To investigate the effect of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) doping on the structural and ionic conductivity properties of 2-HEC based SPEs.
• To establish the correlation between structural changes and ionic conductivity enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Solution casting method for preparing 2-HEC/NH4NO3 SPE films.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for analyzing structural properties and crystallinity.
• Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to study molecular interactions.
• Ionic conductivity measurements to quantify performance.

Main Results:

• Ionic conductivity of the SPE increased by two orders of magnitude with 12wt% NH4NO3 doping.
• Maximum amorphous phase observed at 12wt% NH4NO3, correlating with enhanced conductivity.
• FTIR analysis revealed specific interactions (peak shifts and new peaks) between 2-HEC and NH4NO3, confirmed by theoretical Gaussian calculations.
• The formation of 2-HEC-NH4NO3 complexes was identified as the mechanism for improved ion transport.

Conclusions:

• The addition of NH4NO3 effectively enhances the ionic conductivity of 2-HEC based SPEs.
• The amorphous nature and specific polymer-salt interactions are critical for achieving high ionic conductivity.
• This study demonstrates a promising approach for developing high-performance solid polymer electrolytes for energy storage applications.