Low-Temperature Ionic Conductivity Enhanced by Disrupted Ice Formation in Polyampholyte Hydrogels

ORAL

Abstract

The phase behavior of water in hydrogels has a broad impact on various applications. Our previous study showed the polyampholyte hydrogel has the potential to be used as an aqueous gel electrolyte in the electrochemical storage devices at –30 °C, due to the enhanced low-temperature conductivity. In this study, the impact of polymer structures on the enhanced low-temperature ionic conductivity of polyampholyte hydrogel was explained with a model charge-balanced polyampholyte, poly(4-vinylbenzenesulfonate-co-[3-(methacryloylamino) propyl] trimethylammonium chloride), whose polymer and water structures were probed by variable-temperature SAXS and WAXS, respectively. Here, an interconnected globular network structure of polymer-rich phase at low temperature preserved ion-conducting channel of non-frozen water molecules at low temperatures. This hypothesis was further supported by MAS-NMR. This result provides an insight to design gel electrolytes for enhanced low-temperature performances.

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Presenters

  • Xinda Li

    Univ of Alberta, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta

Authors

  • Xinda Li

    Univ of Alberta, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta

  • Hemant Charaya

    Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta

  • Guy Bernard

    Department of chemistry , University of Alberta

  • Vladimir Michaelis

    Department of chemistry , University of Alberta

  • Janet Elliott

    Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta

  • Byeongdu Lee

    X-ray Science Division, Argonne Natl Lab, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Hyun-Joong Chung

    Univ of Alberta, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta