Ionic liquid-based novel polymer electrolytes: electrical and thermal properties

New polymer electrolytes have been prepared from room temperature ionic liquid (IL) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene copolymer [PVdF-HFP]. The variation of thermal and electrical properties with varying polymer to IL concentration was investigated. The electrolytes had high thermal stabilities. The IL-PVdF-HFP electrolytes were freestanding, flexible films with room temperature conductivities of the order of 10(-3)S cm(-1). Increase in conductivity was found with increasing IL and also with increasing temperature. Increase in conductivity can be attributed to the fact that with increasing IL amorphicity increases as evident from XRD result. Dielectric studies showed decrease in relaxation time with increasing IL concentration indicating increase in polymer segmental motion which result in increase in conductivity.