Structural, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Nano Manganese-Composite Polymer Electrolytes

We synthesized a new kind of solid polymer electrolyte with polyethylene oxide (PEO) as a host, lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3) as a salt, dibuthyl phthalate (DBP) as a plasticizer and nanomanganese (MnO2) as a filler using using solution cast technique. Nanomanganese was produced through mechanical milling process with a size in range of 60-80 nm as shown by TEM image. XRD patterns confirmed the complex formation of PEO-LiCF3SO3-DBP-MnO2 system. The optimum conductivity value at room temperature was 4.2 x 10-4 Scm-1 for 12 wt% of MnO2. The ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolytes show increases with temperature and obey the Arrhenius law. The XRD and DSC studies indicate that the conductivity increase is due to the increase of the amorphous content which enhances the segmental flexibility of polymeric chains and the disordered structure of the electrolyte.