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Title: Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes

Abstract

Block copolymer electrolytes (BCEs) represent an attractive choice as solid-state ionic conductors for electrochemical technologies used in energy storage and conversion, water treatment, sensors, and data storage and processing. Unlocking the maximum ionic conductivity of BCEs requires an intimate understanding as to how the microphase separated structure influences transport properties. However, elucidating such knowledge remains elusive due to the challenging task of precisely engineering BCEs with a defined structure in bulk materials. In this work, we examined BCEs in a thin film format because it was amenable to attaining BCEs with a desired nanostructure. Specifically, we systematically investigated anion-conducting BCEs with different degrees of connectivity of the ionic domains. For the first time, we demonstrate that increasing terminal defects in the ionic domain from 1 terminal defect per mu m(2) to 20 terminal defects per mu m(2) ( a relatively small amount of defects) decreased ionic conductivity by 67% compared to the maximum value attained. Conversely, maximizing ionic domain connectivity increased the ionic conductivity by two-fold over a non-ordered BCE film. These experiments highlight that microphase separation alone was insufficient for ameliorating ionic conductivity in BCEs. Rather, microphase separation coupled with complete ionic domain connectivity realized BCEs with significantly enhancedmore » ionic conductivity.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ; ; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science - Office of Basic Energy Sciences - Materials Sciences and Engineering Division
OSTI Identifier:
1376724
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials Chemistry. A
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 2050-7488
Publisher:
Royal Society of Chemistry
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Arges, Christopher G., Kambe, Yu, Dolejsi, Moshe, Wu, Guang-Peng, Segal-Pertz, Tamar, Ren, Jiaxing, Cao, Chi, Craig, Gordon S. W., and Nealey, Paul F. Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1039/c6ta10838e.
Arges, Christopher G., Kambe, Yu, Dolejsi, Moshe, Wu, Guang-Peng, Segal-Pertz, Tamar, Ren, Jiaxing, Cao, Chi, Craig, Gordon S. W., & Nealey, Paul F. Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6ta10838e
Arges, Christopher G., Kambe, Yu, Dolejsi, Moshe, Wu, Guang-Peng, Segal-Pertz, Tamar, Ren, Jiaxing, Cao, Chi, Craig, Gordon S. W., and Nealey, Paul F. 2017. "Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6ta10838e.
@article{osti_1376724,
title = {Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes},
author = {Arges, Christopher G. and Kambe, Yu and Dolejsi, Moshe and Wu, Guang-Peng and Segal-Pertz, Tamar and Ren, Jiaxing and Cao, Chi and Craig, Gordon S. W. and Nealey, Paul F.},
abstractNote = {Block copolymer electrolytes (BCEs) represent an attractive choice as solid-state ionic conductors for electrochemical technologies used in energy storage and conversion, water treatment, sensors, and data storage and processing. Unlocking the maximum ionic conductivity of BCEs requires an intimate understanding as to how the microphase separated structure influences transport properties. However, elucidating such knowledge remains elusive due to the challenging task of precisely engineering BCEs with a defined structure in bulk materials. In this work, we examined BCEs in a thin film format because it was amenable to attaining BCEs with a desired nanostructure. Specifically, we systematically investigated anion-conducting BCEs with different degrees of connectivity of the ionic domains. For the first time, we demonstrate that increasing terminal defects in the ionic domain from 1 terminal defect per mu m(2) to 20 terminal defects per mu m(2) ( a relatively small amount of defects) decreased ionic conductivity by 67% compared to the maximum value attained. Conversely, maximizing ionic domain connectivity increased the ionic conductivity by two-fold over a non-ordered BCE film. These experiments highlight that microphase separation alone was insufficient for ameliorating ionic conductivity in BCEs. Rather, microphase separation coupled with complete ionic domain connectivity realized BCEs with significantly enhanced ionic conductivity.},
doi = {10.1039/c6ta10838e},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1376724}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry. A},
issn = {2050-7488},
number = 11,
volume = 5,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}

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