Conductivity Modulation in Polymer Electrolytes and their Composites due to Ion-Beam Irradiation

Abstract

Polymers are a class of materials widely used in different fields of applications. With imminent applications of polymers, the study of radiation induced changes in polymers has become an obvious scientific demand. The bombardment by ion beam radiations has become one of the most promising techniques in present day polymer research. When the polymers are irradiated, a variety of physical and chemical changes takes place due to energy deposition of the radiation in the polymer matrix. Scissoring, cross-linking, recombination, radical decomposition, etc. are some of the interesting changes that are obvious in polymers. The modification in polymer properties by irradiation depends mainly on the nature of radiation and the type of polymer used.Polymer electrolytes are obtained by modifying polymers by doping, complexing, or other chemical processes. In general, they suffer from low conductivity due to high crystallinity of the matrix. The effect of radiation on polymer electrolyte is expected to alter their crystalline nature vis-a-vis electrical properties. This review article shall elaborate modifications in the physical and chemical properties of polymer electrolytes and their composites. The variations in properties have been explored on PEO based polymer electrolyte and correlated with the parameters responsible for such changes. Also a comparison with different types of the polymers irradiated with a wide range of ion beams has been established.