Physical and Chemical Characterization of Commercial Kappa-Carrageenan with Ammonium Chloride as Electrolyte in Organic Battery Application

Abstract

In this research, we attempt to investigate the difference in physical and chemical characteristics of commercial kappa-carrageenan and purified kappa-carrageenan as electrolytes in organic battery applications. Kappa-carrageenan was used as a host polymer to prepare biopolymer electrolyte films and ammonium chloride was used to enhance the charge transport process in the electrolyte layer of the organic battery. We characterized the physical and chemical properties of commercial kappa-carrageenan and purified kappa-carrageenan by use of UV-Vis spectroscopy, tensile-test measurement, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy in the form of solution and thin film samples. The results show that commercial kappa-carrageenan shows the absorbance area in Ultraviolet range with a maximum peak at 286 nm, while the maximum absorbance peak of purified kappa-carrageenan is slightly shifted at 288 nm. The chemical characterization of both kappa-carrageenan based on FTIR and Raman spectra show no significant structural change between kappa-carrageenan with or without the addition of ammonium chloride. XRD diffraction confirms that commercial kappa-carrageenan is amorphous and kappa-carrageenan with ammonium chloride has high intensity with sharp peaks around 2θ = 32º. The morphology of the thin film of purified kappa-carrageenan seem has a rougher surface in comparison to the commercial kappa-carrageenan. We found commercial kappa-carrageenan with ammonium chloride has high conducting about 1.55 x 10-5 Scm-1. Tensile test measurements indicate that commercial kappa-carrageenan is more flexible for use as an organic battery than the purified kappa-carrageenan.