Solid Polymer Electrolytes Based on Copolymers of Cyclic Carbonate Acrylate and n‐Butylacrylate

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are prepared by mixing poly(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methyl acrylate‐random‐n‐butylacrylate) [P(cyCA‐r‐nBA)] statistical copolymers with bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt. The P(cyCA‐r‐nBA) copolymers are synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and different molar masses as well as copolymer composition are targeted in order to study the influence of the molecular parameters on the thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of the SPEs obtained after mixing the copolymers with lithium salts. In the investigated experimental window, it is shown that the thermal and mechanical properties of the SPEs mainly depend on the composition of the copolymer and are poorly influenced by the molar mass. In sharp contrast, the ionic conductivities are more deeply influenced by the molar mass than by the composition of the copolymers. In this respect ionic conductivity values ranging from 4.2 × 10^?6 S cm^?1 for the lower molar mass sample to 8 × 10^?8 S cm^?1 for the higher molar mass one are measured at room temperature for the investigated SPEs.     

Redox Polymer–Based Nano‐Objects via Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly

Poly(2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyloxy‐4‐yl‐methacrylate) (PTMA) redox polymer–based nano‐objects are synthesized by polymerization‐induced self‐assembly with poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] and poly[(4‐methacryloyloxy)‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinium chloride] as hydrophilic macro‐chain transfer agents. These hydrophilic blocks are used in order to stabilize hydrophobic PTMA blocks in aqueous medium. The accordingly obtained spherical nano‐objects are observed via transmission electron microscopy analysis. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that the nature and the length of coronal blocks influence the redox process of the PTMA core blocks. Moreover, these electroactive nano‐objects display low viscosities with a shear‐thinning behavior, making them suitable as cathode‐active materials for aqueous flow‐assisted electrochemical systems.