Nanocomposites of TiO2-Doped PEO/PVP/NaIO4 Polymer-Ion Complexes for Na+ Electrolyte Applications

The ion conductivity of TiO2-doped nanocomposite polymer electrolytes based on twopolymer blend of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), being complexed with NaIO4 at concentration of 10 wt%, is studied. The polymer-ion complexes PEO/PVP/NaIO4 are doped with small amount (up to 3 wt%) TiO2 nanoparticles of average size ~ 10 nm. Thin films of PEO/PVP/NaIO4/TiO2 nanocomposite polymer electrolytes with a thickness 150 μm are formed using conventional solution-cast technique. The ionic conductivity of these nanocomposites is measured as dependent on the concentration of the included TiO2 nanoparticles by applying complex electrical impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 0.1 Hz – 1 MHz. The obtained results indicate that the Na+-ion conductivity of PEO/PVP/NaIO4/TiO2 nanocomposite polymer electrolytes is enhanced with the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles. Such nanocomposites are attractive for Na+ electrolyte applications.