posted on 2021-09-17, 18:35authored byHongyun Xu, Mahesh K. Mahanthappa
We
describe the impact of center polyether segment dispersity (Đ = Mw/Mn ∼ 1.45) on the ionic conductivities of lithium
salt-doped polystyrene-block-poly(oligo(ethylene
oxide) carbonate)-block-polystyrene (bSOS) electrolytes
with narrow dispersity end blocks. Three bSOS samples with Mn,total = 11.7–23.9 kg/mol were doped
with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) with r = [Li+]/[EO units] = 0.09. Small-angle X-ray
scattering (SAXS) analyses reveal that these samples with fO/salt = 0.55–0.60 self-assemble into
lamellar morphologies, with ionic conductivities as high as σ
= 0.19 mS/cm at 90 °C measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
(EIS). The ionic conductivities of LiTFSI-doped bSOS are comparable
to those of salt-doped, narrow dispersity nSOS triblocks with Mn ≳ 20 kg/mol, and they are 2–3
times greater than those of the narrow dispersity nSO diblock control
samples. These findings are rationalized in terms of decreases in
the lamellar grain sizes induced by molecular architecture and segment
dispersity, which enhance intergrain connectivity and ion transport.