Electrical Conduction Mechanism in Solid Polymer Electrolytes: New Concepts to Arrhenius Equation

Abstract

Solid polymer electrolytes based on chitosan NaCF3SO3 have been prepared by the solution cast technique. X-ray diffraction shows that the crystalline phase of the pure chitosan membrane has been partially disrupted. The fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results reveal the complexation between the chitosan polymer and the sodium triflate (NaTf) salt. The dielectric constant and DC conductivity follow the same trend with NaTf salt concentration. The increase in dielectric constant at different temperatures indicates an increase in DC conductivity. The ion conduction mechanism follows the Arrhenius behavior. The dependence of DC conductivity on both temperature and dielectric constant (σdc(T,ε′)=σ0e−Ea/KBT) is also demonstrated.