Carrageenan-Ionic Liquid Composite: Development of Polysaccharide-Based Solid Electrolyte System
D. Camacho, S. Tambio, and M. Oliveros (pp. 8-15)
Abstract
Solid electrolyte system compared to a liquid electrolyte is desirable for some electrochemical applications. Natural polymers like polysaccharides were explored as polymer matrix in the development of solid electrolyte system. Among the polysaccharides screened, κcarrageenan showed promising results. Cyclic voltammetry of the I3 -/I- redox couple in κcarrageenan gel showed improved performance compared to aqueous medium. Composite films of κ-carrageenan with KI and I2 as triiodide sources and polymer electrolytes based on κcarrageenan and ionic liquid, 1,3-dimethyl imidazolium iodide (DMII) with I2 were prepared and characterized. The composite characterizations indicate that lower conductivity using Van der Pauw technique was observed with KI/I2 system owing to its porous surface. The κcarrageenan/DMII/I2 system on the other hand showed a smooth surface and significantly higher conductivity making it a promising solid electrolyte system.