Conductivity enhancement induced by casting of polymer electrolytes under a magnetic field

We recently presented a procedure for orienting the polyethylene-oxide (PEO) helices in a direction perpendicular to the film plane by casting the polymer electrolytes (PE) under a magnetic field (MF). Here we study the influence of magnetic fields of different strengths and configurations on the structural properties and ionic conductivity of concentrated LiCF3SO3 (LiTf) and LiAsF6:P(EO) pristine and composite polymer electrolytes containing γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Some data of LiI:P(EO) system are shown for comparison. We suggest that the effect of type of salt (LiI, LiTf and LiAsF6) on the structure–conductivity relationship of the polymer electrolytes cast under magnetic field is closely connected to the crystallinity of the PEO–LiX system. It was found that the higher the content of the crystalline phase and the size of spherulites in the typically cast salt-polymer system, the stronger the influence of the magnetic field on the conductivity enhancement when the electrolyte is cast and dried under MF. Casting of the PE from a high-dielectric-constant solvent results in disentanglement of the PEO chains, which facilitates even more the perpendicular orientation of helices under applied MF. The enhancement of ionic conductivity was appreciably higher in the PEs cast under strong NdFeB magnets than under SmCo. Both bulk (intrachain) and grain-boundary conductivities increase when a MF is applied, but the improvement in the grain-boundary conductivity – associated with ion-hopping between polymer chains – is more pronounced. For LiAsF6:(PEO)3 at 65 °C, the interchain conductivity increased by a factor of 75, while the intrachain conductivity increased by a factor of 11–14. At room temperature, the SEI resistance of these PEs, cast under NdFeB HMF, decreased by a factor of up to 7, as compared to the typically cast polymer electrolytes. The effect of MF on orientation is observed directly down to the molecular level by 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance measurements.

► Ordering of polymer electrolytes under applied magnetic field.
► Positive effect of nanosize ferromagnetic filler.
► Structure-ion conductivity interrelationship.