CONDUCTIVITY AND DIELECTRIC STUDIES ON FILLER-DOPED HEXANOYL CHITOSAN BASED POLYMER ELECTROLYTES

Abstract

Solid polymer electrolytes based on hexanoyl chitosan complexed with lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF₃SO₃) were prepared using solution casting technique. The effect of addition of Al₂O₃ on the conductivity behaviour of hexanoyl chitosan-based polymer electrolyte system was investigated by impedance spectroscopy for temperature ranging from 273 to 343 K. The conductivity for filler-free polymer electrolyte is 2.75 x 10-5 S cm-1 whereas with addition of 6 wt % Al₂O₃ the conductivity increased by 1 order of magnitude to 1.01 x 10-4 S cm^-1. Within the temperature range investigated, the conductivity of the polymer electrolytes are thermally assisted and can be described by Arrhenius law. Dielectric studies were analyzed using complex permittivity ε* and complex electrical modulus M* for the sample with the highest ionic conductivity