Abstract
A new proton conducting nanocomposite polymer electrolyte (NCPE) comprising polyethylene oxide (PEO)-NH4HSO4 salt complex dispersed with nanosized SiO2 particles has been investigated. The NCPE films have been formed following the usual solution cast method. The results of various studies based on scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy as well as some basic ionic transport parameters, namely conductivity, and ionic transference number, are presented and discussed. SiO2 concentration dependent conductivity measurements have been carried out on the NCPE films at room temperature. This study revealed the existence of two conductivity maxima at SiO2 concentrations ∼3 and 12 wt% which have been attributed to two percolation thresholds in the composite polymer electrolyte phase. An optimum value of conductivity (σ ∼ 6.2 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 27 °C) was achieved for the NCPE film with 3 wt% SiO2 dispersion. This has been referred to as optimum conducting composition. The temperature dependence of conductivity exhibited an Arrhenius-type thermally activated behaviour both below and above the semicrystalline–amorphous phase transition temperature of PEO.
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