Polyether/salt hybrid .6. Effect of sulfonamide ends having different alkyl groups on the bulk ionic conductivity

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/salt hybrids having sulfonamide groups on the PEO chain ends (PEO(1000)-(SAR)(2)M(2); R = -CF3, -CH3 and -C6H5; M = Li, Na, K, Rb and C-s) were prepared, and the bulk ionic conductivity was measured as a new type of ion conductive matrix. Among these, the salt having a trifluoromethyl sulfonamide group showed the highest ionic conductivity (for example, 2.83 x 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 303 K for potassium salt). Although there was little difference in the glass transition temperature (T-g) for these salts and the same average molecular weight of the PEO part, there was a considerable difference in the ionic conductivity. The difference was attributed to the dissociation constant of sulfonamide groups depending upon the terminal alkyl groups. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.