Supramolecular Functionalities Influence the Thermal Properties, Interactions and Conductivity Behavior of Poly(ethylene glycol)/LiAsF6 Blends

Abstract

In this study, we tethered terminal uracil groups onto short-chain poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to form the polymers, uracil (U)-PEG and U-PEG-U. Through AC impedance measurements, we found that the conductivities of these polymers increased upon increasing the content of the lithium salt, LiAsF6, until the Li-to-PEG ratio reached 1:4, with the conductivities of the LiAsF6/U-PEG blends being greater than those of the LiAsF6/U-PEG-U blends. The ionic conductivity of the LiAsF6/U-PEG system reached as high as 7.81 x 10(-4) S/cm at 30 degrees C. Differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray scattering, Li-7 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the presence of the uracil groups in the solid state electrolytes had a critical role in tuning the glass transition temperatures and facilitating the transfer of Li+ ions.