Preparation and characterization of novel potassium ion conducting nanocomposite polymer electrolytes based on PEMA

Abstract

Potassium ion conducting nanocomposite polymer electrolytes was prepared by employing the solvent casting technique. Poly ethyl methacrylate (PEMA), potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) and nano-strontium titanate (SrTiO3) (<100 nm) was used as a polymer host, an electrolyte and a filler, respectively. The complex formation between PEMA, KSCN and SrTiO3 was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. This system exhibited two ionic conductivity maxima, but the sample, PEMA/KSCN/4 wt% SrTiO3 delivered a maximum ionic conductivity of 3.07 × 10−5 Scm−1 at room temperature, which was 102 times greater than that of PEMA/KSCN system. Truckhan model was employed to determine the diffusion coefficient, mobility and mobile ion concentration of the system. The remarkable change in surface morphology of the sample was observed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrograph.