SAXS Studies of TiO₂ Nanoparticles in Polymer Electrolytes and in Nanostructured Films

Polymer electrolytes as nanostructured materials are very attractive components for batteries and opto-electronic devices. (PEO)₈ZnCl₂ polymer electrolytes were prepared from PEO and ZnCl₂. The nanocomposites (PEO)₈ZnCl₂/TiO₂ themselves contained TiO₂ nanograins. In this work, the influence of the TiO₂ nanograins on the morphology and ionic conductivity of the nanocomposite was systematically studied by transmission small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) simultaneously recorded with wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at the synchrotron ELETTRA. Films containing nanosized grains of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) are widely used in the research of optical and photovoltaic devices. The TiO₂ films, prepared by chemical vapor deposition and e-beam epitaxy, were annealed in hydrogen atmospheres in the temperature range between 20 °C and 900 °C in order to study anatase-rutile phase transition at 740 °C. Also, grazing-incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) spectra for each TiO₂ film were measured in reflection geometry at different grazing incident angles. Environmentally friendly galvanic cells, as well as solar cells of the second generation, are to be constructed with TiO₂ film as working electrode, and nanocomposite polymer as electrolyte.