Effect of nano-dispersed silica on the ion-conducting behavior of PMMA-based polymer gel electrolytes containing LiPF6

Nano-sized silica poly(methylmethacrylate)-based gel electrolyte containing lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) was synthesized by using different binary solvent mixture (propylene carbonate(PC) and dimethylformamide (DMF) in different volume ratio). Role of DMF in PC: Higher DMF content in PC-based electrolyte shows higher ionic conductivity at all polymer content and at wide temperature regions (10-70 degrees C). A small increment in ionic conductivity at lower content of polymer in liquid/gel electrolyte was observed and having maximum conductivity of 13.12 mS/cm at 25 degrees C. Stability (mechanically and electrically), viscosity and ionic conductivity of gel electrolytes were improved with the addition of nano-sized silica at ambient temperature. Ionic conductivity of nano-sized silica-based gel electrolyte does not change much over 5(o)-70 degrees C temperature range and is factor-wise only which make indispensable in different electrochemical devices. Also polymer gel electrolyte membranes as such and with dispersed silica nano-particles were characterized through scanning electron microscope to study the morphology of gel matrix.