posted on 2020-09-11, 12:08authored byBaris Demir, Kit-ying Chan, Debra J. Searles
Structural electrolytes
have both mechanical strength and ionic conductivity which make them
attractive for applications in electrochemical devices and supercapacitors.
In this work we used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate
structural electrolytes composed of an ionic liquid in an epoxy polymer.
The glass transition temperature, Young’s modulus, diffusivity,
and ionic conductivity of the highly cross-linked, epoxy-based structural
electrolytes were found to vary significantly as a function of ionic
liquid content, providing an option to improve the performance of
devices. Our computational protocol provides a platform to elucidate
the molecular-level interactions between epoxy polymers and ionic
liquids, leading to an enhanced understanding of the multifunctional
solid polymer electrolytes and enabling their development to meet
future demands for energy storage devices.