Synthesis and Lithium
Ion Conduction of Polysiloxane Single-Ion Conductors Containing Novel
Weak-Binding Borates
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Abstract
Three borate monomers: lithium triphenylstyryl borate
(B1), a variant with three ethylene oxides between the vinyl and the
borate (B2) and a third with perfluorinated phenyl rings (B3) were
synthesized and used to prepare polysiloxane ionomers based on cyclic
carbonates via hydrosilylation. B1 ion content variations show maximum
25 °C conductivity at 8 mol %, reflecting a trade-off between
carrier density and glass transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub>g</sub>) increase. Ethylene oxide spacers (B2) lower <i>T</i><sub>g</sub>, and increase the dielectric constant, both
raising conductivity. Perfluorinating the four phenyl rings (B3) lowers
the ion association energy, as anticipated by ab initio estimations.
This increases conductivity, a direct result of 3 times higher measured
carrier density. The ∼9 kJ/mol activation energy of simultaneously
conducting ions is less than half that of ionomers with either sulfonate
or bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide anions, suggesting that ionomers
with weak-binding borate anions may provide a pathway to useful single-ion
Li<sup>+</sup> conductors, if their <i>T</i><sub>g</sub> can be lowered