Optical properties and electric modulus studies of TSP: CH3COONa based biopolymer electrolytes

Abstract

The research of biopolymers for the creation of solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) for electrochemical devices has resulted from the green revolution. Various strategies have been used to build and characterise biopolymer-based membranes for proton and lithium-ion conduction. However, research on biopolymers based on sodium ions is uncommon in the literature. The solution cast approach is used in this work to create a SPE based on the biopolymer Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP) incorporated with sodium acetate (CH3COONa). UV–visible optical absorption spectroscopy in the wavelength range of 200–800 nm was used to investigate the optical characteristics. From the studies of optical absorption, optical transmission, optical absorption coefficient, refractive index spectrum, extinction coefficient spectra, direct energy bandgap, indirect energy bandgap, optical absorption edge, Urbach – energy, and optical dielectric loss were calculated. The comparative study of the optical dielectric loss to the optical bandgap showed that the direct allowed transition was the most probable electronic transition for the prepared films. The calculated optical bandgap (Direct allowed) was decreased for 80:20 film from 5.51 eV (for pure TSP) to 4.88 eV. The direct, indirect, and absorption edges for pure TSP were all high, and when the salt concentration of CH3COONa increased, the above characteristics progressively decreased. For 80 % TSP: 20 % CH3COONa concentration, a low direct and indirect energy bandgap value was obtained. Tangent loss and electric modulus experiment results were then presented using AC Impedance data. For the 80:20 film, the tangent energy loss revealed a minimum and the electric modulus spectra exhibited the zeroth tail is at its maximum.