Modification of Electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) Membranes Through the Introduction of Poly(ethylene glycol) Dimethacrylate

For the modification of an electrospun poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) membrane for its potential use as an electrolyte or separator in lithium batteries, poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) was introduced into a polymer solution for electrospinning. A post heat treatment of the as-electro-spun membrane at an elevated temperature was performed for PEGDMA polymerization, and this was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that no significant variations in the membrane morphology were detected when a small amount of PEGDMA (PVDF-HFP/PEGDMA mass ratio = 4/1) was incorporated. This electrospun membrane after heat treatment at 130 degrees C for 2 h exhibited a significantly higher tensile strength (6.26 +/- 0.22 MPa) than that of an electrospun PVDF-HFP membrane (3.28 +/- 0.35 MPa) without PEGDMA. The porosity and liquid absorption of the electrospun PVDF-HFP/PEGDMA (4/1) membrane were 70.0 +/- 1.6% and 267 +/- 11%, respectively, lower than those of the electrospun PVDF-HFP membrane (76.5 +/- 0.3% and 352 +/- 15%) because of the introduction of PEGDMA. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci III: 3104-3112, 2009