Copper transport properties in polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(acrylonitrile)

Transport properties of copper salts were studied in a solvent-free polymer electrolyte PEO-Cu(CF3SO3)(2) (where PEO is poly(ethylene oxide)) as well as in gel-type polymer electrolytes: polymer-solvent-CuX2 (where X=Cl-, Br- or CF3SO3-, polymer is PEO or poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), solvent is dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sulfolane or propylene carbonate). Generally, low values of the cationic transference numbers (T+ approximate to 0.02-0.08) for the polymer electrolytes were obtained. However, in the systems based on PAN plasticised with DMSO, the T+ value increases significantly (T+ approximate to 0.1-0.4); the highest value is reached in the system containing an excess of the Br- anions (PAN-DMSO-CuX2-KBr, T+ = 0.4). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.