Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Sodium-Based Electrolytes: A Preliminary Study

Sodium-ion-based polymer electrolytes have emerged as an essential technology for the next generation of solid-state batteries, offering the possibility of greater safety and mechanical flexibility. This work aimed to prepare eco-friendly ormolytes based on a biohybrid host matrix, which were doped, for the first time, with a wide range of NaTFSI concentrations. The matrix consists of short poly(ε-caprolactone) segments covalently bonded to siliceous domains via urethane linkages. The samples obtained were thin and transparent films. They were characterized by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the films exhibited an amorphous character over the entire composition range. Ionic conductivity measurements were performed, and at room temperature for n = 10, the ionic conductivity was 2.44 × 10^-3 mS.cm^-1. The highest ionic conductivity value of 1.78 × 10^-2 mS.cm^-1 (n = 10) was obtained at 62.0 °C. To access the cation/urethane interactions, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed, and it was noted that the global profile was slightly altered with the incorporation of salt, in which more interactions were observed for the more concentrated samples. Thus, the proposed material may be promising in the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly electrochemical devices with Na ions.