The detailed study of the interplay between the physicochemical properties and the long-range charge migration mechanism of polymer electrolytes able to carry lithium ions is crucial in the development of… Click to show full abstract
The detailed study of the interplay between the physicochemical properties and the long-range charge migration mechanism of polymer electrolytes able to carry lithium ions is crucial in the development of next-generation lithium batteries. Glycerol exhibits a number of features (e.g., glass-forming behavior, low glass transition temperature, high flexibility of the backbone, and efficient coordination of lithium ions) that make it an appealing ion-conducting medium and a challenging building block in the preparation of new inorganic–organic polymer electrolytes. This work reports the preparation and the extensive investigation of a family of 11 electrolytes based on lithium glycerolate. The electrolytes have the formula C3H5(OH)3−x(OLi)x, where 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. The elemental composition is evaluated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The structure and interactions are studied by vibrational spectroscopies (FT-IR and micro-Raman). The thermal properties are gauged by modulated differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, insights on the long-range charge migration mechanism and glycerol relaxation events are investigated via broadband electrical spectroscopy. Results show that in these electrolytes, glycerolate acts as a large and flexible macro-anion, bestowing to the material single-ion conductivity (1.99 × 10−4 at 30 °C and 1.55 × 10−2 S∙cm−1 at 150 °C for x = 0.250).
               
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