FTIR spectroscopic analysis has been carried out for liquid electrolytes containing lithium -(trifluormethanesulfonimide or imide) salt as the ion source, a binary solvent composed of gamma BL and DMF and gel electrolytes containing PMMA. These studies illustrate that for all electrolytes, the cation (Li(+))-solvent interaction is predominant and occurs through the carbonyl oxygen and the electron rich nitrogen atom of the solvating medium i.e., the binary solvent. Ionic conductivity trends upon varying lithium imide concentration, exhibit a single maximum in both liquid and gel polymeric electrolytes. The conductivity at 25 degrees C (sigma(25)) decline at high salt concentrations attributable to ion aggregation or cation-anion association, has been explained on the basis of detailed spectral analysis. Addition of PMMA as a gelatinizing agent to liquid electrolytes does not affect the conduction mechanism drastically, which is evident from conductivity measurements and is supplemented by spectral studies.
