Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conducting Polymers

Abstract

Abstract Both polymeric electrolytes and electronically conducting polymers have been the focus of considerable research during the past decade. Polymeric electronic conductors may find applications as either the anode or cathode in solid state batteries while solid ionic conductors function as the electrolytes in these devices.2 High ionic conductivities have been achieved in salt complexes of2 1) amorphous polymeric hosts with 2) highly flexible chains and correspondingly low Tg values. Finally, salt complex formation is most favorable for 3) polymers with polar groups and salts with low lattice energies such as alkali metal cations with large anions. In this report we describe materials that are similar to the polymer electrolytes but instead of an electrochemically “inert” anion such as [SO3CF3]- these materials contain polyiodides which impart electronic conductivity to the salt complexes.