Polymer electrolytes are considered a promising solution to provide better safety, higher capacity by allowing metal anode, and dimensional flexibility to secondary batteries. Single-ion conducting electrolytes would mitigate ion concentration gradient formation, reducing interfacial impedance and side-reactions on electrode surface. Many years of research has revealed the limitation of PEO-based electrolytes due to slow segmental relaxation and restrained extent of ion solvation. Recent research on ion-containing polymers without polar solvation sites inspires designing polymer electrolytes that transports ion within confined ion-cluster. Experimental investigations of well-defined polyethylene ionomers disclosed that conductivity is greatly connected to their microphase morphology, which is dominated by polymer architecture. Our previous report on para-polyphenylene backbone polymer with ionic liquid crystal tethered side-groups has shown positive correlation between dielectric relaxation rate of ion-clusters and their degree of charge delocalization through analysis of broadband dielectric spectroscopy. We now further elucidate by presenting a systematic investigation of side-chain length and backbone chemistry effects in ionic liquid crystal polymers with highly delocalized anions. The influence of polymer chemistry on thermal properties, chain dynamics, mesoscale structure, and ionic conductivity will be discussed.

Examination of side-chain length and backbone chemistry effects in ionic liquid crystal polymer electrolytes

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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