Effect of grafting degree and side PEO chain length on the ionic conductivities of NBR‐g‐PEO based polymer electrolytes

Abstract Comb‐shaped graft polymers were synthesized and complexed with a LiCF 3 SO 3 salt to form a new class of polymer electrolytes. The polymers based on an acrylonitrile‐butadiene copolymer (NBR) have pendant, short‐chain poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafted onto a butadiene unit. The characteristics of these polymer electrolytes were investigated in terms of number of pendant EO groups and grafting degree in the graft copolymer. The maximum conductivity was observed at the optimum side PEO chain length, and the PEO chain length for the maximum conductivity decreased with an increase in the grafting degree. And a solid 7 Li NMR relaxation technique was used to study the local environments and dynamics of the ions in the polymer electrolytes. The maximum conductivity value obtained from our study was three orders of magnitude higher than that of classical PEO‐based electrolytes at ambient temperature. These improved low temperature conducting polymers with higher relative mechanical strength are expected to be suitable for practical applications, such as in rechargeable lithium batteries or electrochromic devices.