Two new amorphous polyethers have been synthesized and characterized by functionalization of a commercially available epichlorohydrin-ethylene oxide copolymer. The functionalized polyethers, ECH-EO-Phth and ECH-EO-Iodide, after purification and vacuum drying, displayed both excellent mechanical strength and compatibility with lithium salts. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry showed the complete amorphous character of the electrolytes in the temperature range of -100°C to 120°C and ionic conductivities of ~1.32x10 -6 S/cm at room temperature.
A new gel polymer electrolyte has been prepared by entrapping a sufficient amount of non-aqueous lithium salt solution into a crosslinked polyethylene oxide (PEO) matrix. The morphology of this electrolyte was studied by both DSC and scanning electron microscopy, which revealed no crystallinity from -100 o to 120 o C and nearly a pore-free surface. Cyclic voltammetry was performed to obtain the electrochemical stability of the gel electrolytes, while an ionic conductivity of 1.826×10 -3 S/cm was observed by complex impedance measurement. The flexible and strong texture of the matrix showed acceptable mechanical properties suitable for fabrication of secondary lithium-ion batteries.
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