Ionic conductivity in poly(diethylene glycol-carbonate)/sodium triflate complexes

New polymer electrolytes were synthesized and characterized based on a new polymer host. The motivation was to produce a host polymer with a high dielectric constant which should reduce ion clustering with an attendant increased conductivity. The new polymer host, poly(diethylene glycol carbonate) and its sodium triflate complexes were characterized by thermal analysis and AC impedance measurements. The polycarbonate backbone appears less flexible than the polyether hosts as evidenced by the higher glass transition temperatures. The conductivity for the sodium triflate complexes was measured as ~ 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ at 55 °C and the dielectric constant of the host polymer was found to be 3.6 at 3 GHz. The low conductivity is attributed to rigidity of the polycarbonate.

Nano-capsules of amphiphilic poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (bisphenol A carbonate) copolymers via thermodynamic entrapment

The synthesis of amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PEG-b-PC) block copolymer is presented here using a simple bio-chemistry coupling reaction between poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) with a monomethylether poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-OH) block, mediated by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/4-dimethylaminopyridine. This method inherently allows great flexibility in the choice of starting materials as well as easy product purification only requiring phase separation and water washing. Collective data from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and modulated dynamic scanning calorimetry (MDSC) confirmed the successful attachment of the poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-OH) and poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) blocks. The preparation of nano-capsules was carried out by sudden addition of water to PEG-b-PC copolymers dispersed in THF, resulting in the controlled precipitation (i.e. thermodynamic entrapment) of the copolymer. Nano-capsules as small as 85 nm ± 30 nm were produced using this simple and fast methodology. We also demonstrate that encapsulating a water-insoluble bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) epoxy resin is possible highlighting the potential use of these capsules as a chemical delivery system.

Cycling performance of lithium metal polymer cells assembled with ionic liquid and poly(3-methyl thiophene)/carbon nanotube composite cathode

A poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMT)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) composite is synthesized by in situ chemical polymerization. The PMT/CNT composite is used as an active cathode material in lithium metal polymer cells assembled with ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes. The IL electrolyte consists of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF4) and LiBF4. A small amount of vinylene carbonate is added to the IL electrolyte to prevent the reductive decomposition of the imidazolium cation in EMIBF4. A porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-co-HFP)) film is used as a polymer membrane for assembling the cells. Electrochemical properties of the PMT/CNT composite electrode in the IL electrolyte are evaluated and the effect of vinylene carbonate on the cycling performance of the lithium metal polymer cells is investigated. The cells assembled with a non-flammable IL electrolyte and a PMT/CNT composite cathode are promising candidates for high-voltage–power sources with enhanced safety.

Mechanism of a green graphene oxide reduction with reusable potassium carbonate

 A green method for the deoxygenation of graphene oxide (GO) was developed using K2CO3 as a reusable reduction agent. The size and thickness of the reduced GO are less than 1 μm and around 0.85 nm, respectively. Carbon dioxide is the only byproduct during this process. The reduction mechanism of the graphene oxide includes two reduction steps. On the one hand, ionic oxygen generated from the electrochemical reaction between hydroxyl ions and oxygen in the presence of K2CO3 reacts with carbonyl groups attached to the GO layers at 50°C. On the other hand, ionic oxygen attacks hydroxyl and epoxide groups, which become carbonyl groups and then are converted to carbon dioxide by K2CO3 at 90°C. These oxygenous groups are finally converted to CO2 from graphene layers, leading to the formation of graphene sheets. Headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected the existence of n-dodecanal and 4-ethylbenzoic acid cyclopentyl ester during the reduction, suggesting that oxygen functional groups on the GO layers are not only aligned, but randomly dispersed in some areas based on the proposed mechanism.