Inorganic–organic polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) and borane/poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether for Li-ion batteries

In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was modified with poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (PEGME) using borane–tetrahydrofuran (BH3/THF) complex. Molecular weights of both PVA and PEGME were varied prior to reaction. Boron containing comb-branched copolymers were produced and abbreviated as PVA1PEGMEX and PVA2PEGMEX. Then polymer electrolytes were successfully prepared by doping of the host matrix with CF3SO3Li at several stoichiomeric ratios with respect to EO to Li. The materials were characterized via nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR and 11B NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The ionic conductivity of these novel polymer electrolytes were studied by dielectric-impedance spectroscopy. Li-ion conductivity of these polymer electrolytes depends on the length of the side units as well as the doping ratio. Such electrolytes possess satisfactory ambient temperature ionic conductivity (>10−4 S cm−1). Cyclic voltammetry results illustrated that the electrochemical stability domain extends over 4 V.