ABSTRACT:With the aim of developing ion-conducting solid polymer electrolytes that combine high ionic conductivity with good mechanical properties, we prepared and investigated nanocomposites of LiClO 4 -doped ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin (EO-EPI) copolymers and nanoscale cellulose whiskers derived from tunicates. We show that homogeneous nanocomposite films based on EO-EPI copolymers, LiClO 4 , and tunicate whiskers can be produced by solution-casting THF/water mixtures comprising these components and subsequent compression-molding. The Young's moduli of the nanocomposites thus produced are increased by a factor of up to Ͼ50, when compared to the copolymers, whereas the electrical conductivities experience only comparably small reductions upon introduction of the whiskers. The nanocomposite with the best combination of conductivity (1.6 ϫ 10 Ϫ4 S/cm at room temperature and a relative humidity of 75%) and Young's modulus (7 MPa) was obtained with a copolymer having an EO-EPI ratio of 84 : 16, a whisker content of 10% w/w, and a LiClO 4 concentration of 5.8% w/w.
High molecular weight vinyl‐type polynorbornene was obtained by polymerization of norbornene initiated by [NiBr(NPMe3)]4/B(C6F5)3. Polymerization in the presence of olefins resulted in termination of polynorbornene chains by olefinic moieties. Molecular weights of polynorbornenes terminated by vinylidene compounds are lower than those terminated by vinyl and vinylene compounds. Corresponding polymerizations with polybutadiene and polyisoprene yielded graft copolymers with polynorbornene as grafts without contamination by homopolymerized polynorbornene. Grafting reactions were proved by spectroscopy, GPC, and degradation experiments using OsO4.
GPC traces (refractometer detector) of PN obtained for the polymerizations of 2 in the presence of 4d.magnified imageGPC traces (refractometer detector) of PN obtained for the polymerizations of 2 in the presence of 4d.
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