Effect of plasticizer on structural and electrical properties of polymer nanocompsoite electrolytes

Plasticized polymer nanocomposite electrolytes (PPNCEs) based on Poly (ethylene oxide) + NaI with dodecyl amine modified montmorillonite (DMMT) as the filler and Poly (ethylene glycol) as the plasticizer were prepared by a self-designed tape caster. The effect of plasticization on structural, microstructure, thermal and electrical properties of the PPNCEs were investigated. The changes in the structural and microstructural properties of the materials were investigated by XRD and SEM techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to study the thermal parameters (i. e., glass transition temperature (T-g) and crystalline melting temperature (T-m)) of the nancomposites. Complex impedance analysis was used to calculate the bulk resistance of the composites. The typical complex impedance spectrum of the samples comprises of a compressed semicircle in the high frequency region (due to the bulk properties) followed by a tail (spike) in the lower frequency region indicating the double layer response at the electrode/sample interface. The maximum conductivity of PPNCE was found to be 1.05x10(-6) for x= 50% of plasticizer (at 40 degrees C). The effect of plasticizer on the structural and physical properties of polymer nanocomposites was well correlated.